Would your car get you through a night in the snow?

Build a winter car emergency kit list for where you drive and who rides with you. Tick what you already have and see how ready your car really is.

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If you get stuck in the snow

  1. Stay with your car unless help is clearly close by. It's shelter, and it's easier to spot than a person.
  2. Call for help and tell them where you are. Then save your phone battery.
  3. Clear the exhaust pipe of snow before you run the engine.
  4. Run the engine about 10 minutes each hour for heat, with a window slightly open.
  5. Make yourself visible: dome light on at night, bright cloth on the antenna or door, hazard lights while the engine runs.
  6. Keep moving and keep layered. Clap, stretch and huddle together under blankets. Drink water.
⚠️A blocked tailpipe can fill the car with carbon monoxide, which has no smell. Check it every time before running the engine.
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How to build a winter car emergency kit

Think in five jobs: staying warm if the engine can't run, getting unstuck, being seen and calling for help, food and water for a few hours, and first aid and personal needs. Pack them in one bag or plastic box in the trunk, and keep a blanket, flashlight and power bank inside the car where you can reach them without getting out.

Check the kit at the start of every winter: swap the water and snacks, test the flashlight, charge the power bank, and make sure the kids' gloves still fit.

Questions

What should be in a winter car emergency kit?

At minimum: warm blankets and layers, a flashlight, a phone charger or power bank, water and high-calorie snacks, a first aid kit, jumper cables, and an ice scraper and small shovel if you drive in snow. Use the builder above to add items for kids, babies, pets, medicines and long rural drives.

What should I do if I get stuck in the snow?

Stay with your car unless help is clearly visible close by: it's shelter and easier to find. Call for help, keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow, and run the engine only about 10 minutes each hour for heat with a window slightly open. Turn on the dome light at night so rescuers can see you, and move your arms and legs to keep blood flowing.

Why keep the exhaust pipe clear?

If snow blocks the tailpipe while the engine runs, carbon monoxide can build up inside the car. It has no smell and can be deadly. Check and clear the pipe before running the engine, and keep a window cracked open.

Where should I keep the kit?

In a bag or box in the trunk, with a blanket, flashlight and power bank in the cabin where you can reach them without getting out of the car.

How often should I check my car kit?

At the start of every winter and again midwinter. Replace water and snacks, check flashlight batteries, charge the power bank and make sure kids' clothes still fit.

Is this checklist official advice?

It follows widely published winter driving guidance from emergency management and weather agencies, but it isn't a substitute for local advice. Always check road conditions before you drive.

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