In short: The government's Be Ready advice is to keep a torch, an in-car phone charger, warm clothes and blankets, high-visibility clothing, jump leads, food and drink, and a shovel for snow in your vehicle, in case you are delayed or stranded. A first aid kit is also useful.
Key facts
- Be Ready lists a torch, in-car charger or power bank, warm clothes and blankets, hi-vis clothing, jump leads, food and drink, a first aid kit and a shovel for a vehicle emergency kit. Source
- Highway Code rule 228 says not to drive in icy or snowy conditions unless your journey is essential, and to carry a winter emergency kit. Source
- Highway Code rule 276: place a warning triangle at least 45 metres behind a broken-down vehicle, but never use one on a motorway. Source
- National Highways' number for motorway and major A-road breakdowns is 0300 123 5000; call 999 if you can't get out of the vehicle safely. Source
- GOV.UK says you need a reflective jacket and a warning triangle in many countries when driving abroad. Source
Most car journeys go exactly to plan. A small kit in the boot is for the ones that don't — a flat battery on a cold morning, a long wait on a closed road, or a breakdown after dark. This guide brings together the official UK lists from GOV.UK's Be Ready campaign, the Highway Code, National Highways and the Met Office, plus first aid kit contents from St John Ambulance. Use the checklists to build your kit once, then top it up each autumn.
What to keep in your car all year round
GOV.UK's Be Ready advice is to keep an emergency kit in your vehicle in case you are delayed or stranded. Its list:
- A torch (with spare batteries, or a wind-up torch)
- An in-car phone charger or power bank
- Warm clothes and blankets
- High-visibility clothing
- Jump leads
- Food and drink
- A first aid kit
- A shovel
National Highways suggests also keeping your breakdown cover details in the car. For longer journeys, it adds:
- Any medication you need
- A charged mobile phone
- Food and water
Useful extras for the glovebox:
- A warning triangle (for use off motorways only — see below)
- Your breakdown provider's phone number written on paper
- A pen and paper for noting details
Keep kit somewhere you can reach without fully unloading the boot, and keep heavy items secured so they don't move under braking.
What to put in a winter car kit
Highway Code rule 228 says that in icy or snowy weather you should not drive unless your journey is essential. If you must go, it says to take an emergency kit of de-icer and ice scraper, torch, warm clothing and boots, first aid kit, jump leads and a shovel, together with a warm drink and emergency food.
The Met Office winter car kit adds a few more practical items. Combined, the winter add-on list looks like this:
- Ice scraper and de-icer
- Warm boots, a big coat, gloves, a hat and a spare jumper
- Blankets
- A large torch with spare batteries, or a wind-up torch
- A shovel for snowy rural roads
- Jump leads (cold weather makes flat batteries more likely)
- Hot drink in a flask, plus food
- A paper road atlas, in case your phone signal or battery runs low
- An empty fuel can
- High-visibility clothing
- Sunglasses for low winter sun
Highway Code rule 229 says you must be able to see, so clear all snow and ice from all your windows before setting off, and clear snow from the roof so it can't fall into the path of others.
Before a winter journey
- Check the forecast and any weather warnings
- Think about postponing if disruption is expected — Be Ready suggests this
- Check your route for delays
- Make sure you have enough fuel
- Charge your phone
- Tell someone your route and when you expect to arrive
Rule 230 warns that stopping distances in snow and ice can be ten times greater than on dry roads, so leave plenty of space.
For wider storm and flood advice, including when not to drive through floodwater, see our storms and flooding guide.
What should be in a car first aid kit?
The Highway Code's first aid annex says: always carry a first aid kit and learn first aid from a qualified organisation.
St John Ambulance lists these kinds of items for a first aid kit:
| Type | Items |
|---|---|
| Dressings | Sterile wound dressings, sterile eye pads, sterile pads |
| Plasters | Fabric and waterproof plasters, blister plasters |
| Bandages | Conforming and open-weave roller bandages, support bandage, triangular bandages, tubular bandages |
| Protection | Disposable gloves, face shield or pocket mask |
| Other | Cleansing wipes, gauze pads, adhesive tape, scissors, pins and clips, aluminium (foil) blanket |
St John Ambulance suggests a ready-made kit or your own kit in a clean, waterproof box, kept up to date. Ready-made car kits are widely sold; check what's inside rather than relying on the label.
- Kit is in the car and easy to reach
- Gloves and face shield included
- Foil blanket included
- Used items replaced after any use
- Any personal medication carried separately on long trips
What to do if you break down
On a motorway or major A road
National Highways' advice is go left, get safe, get help:
- Go left. Move into the left lane and stop in an emergency area, lay-by or on the hard shoulder if you can. Switch on your hazard lights (and sidelights if visibility is poor).
- Get safe. If it's safe, leave by the doors away from traffic and wait well away from the vehicle, behind a barrier if there is one. Don't go back to try repairs.
- Get help. Call National Highways on 0300 123 5000 from an emergency phone or your mobile, then your breakdown provider. Tell them if you're a vulnerable motorist.
If you can't get out safely, stay in the vehicle with your seatbelt on and hazard lights on, and call 999. The Highway Code says you can also use your car's SOS button if it has one. Never place a warning triangle on a motorway.
National Highways also offers a text service for people with hearing, speech or physical impairments: 0738 028 3600.
On other roads
Highway Code rule 276 says to get your vehicle off the road if possible, use hazard lights if it's causing an obstruction, and put a warning triangle at least 45 metres (147 feet) behind it on the same side of the road. Wear light or fluorescent clothing in daylight and reflective clothing at night or in poor visibility.
If you're stranded in bad weather
Be Ready says that if you're delayed or stranded, the general advice is to stay where you are and wait for assistance. This is when the warm layers, blankets, food, drink and phone charger in your kit earn their place.
If there's a crash, the Highway Code says to get someone to call 999 or 112 as soon as possible, give the exact location, and warn other traffic if you safely can.
Driving abroad: extra equipment
Rules are different outside the UK. GOV.UK says you need a reflective jacket and a warning triangle in many countries, and depending on where you go you may also need headlight converter stickers, a UK sticker or a city emissions sticker. It also says that if you hire a car, it's your responsibility to check you have the equipment you need.
Requirements vary by country, so check the rules for each country you'll drive through using GOV.UK's driving in the EU guidance and its foreign travel advice before you go.
Keeping your car kit up to date
- Check it each autumn and swap in the winter items
- Replace food and drink before their dates
- Test the torch and recharge the power bank
- Restock the first aid kit after use
- Update breakdown cover details if you change provider
Your car kit sits alongside your home kit. See our 72-hour home kit guide and, if you might ever need to leave home quickly, our grab bag list.
Limitations
This is general information based on GOV.UK, the Highway Code, National Highways, the Met Office and St John Ambulance, not professional advice. Always follow official instructions, road signs and the emergency services, and call 999 in an emergency. Road authorities and some arrangements differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and driving rules abroad vary by country.
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Frequently asked questions
What should I keep in my car for emergencies?
GOV.UK's Be Ready list is a torch, an in-car phone charger or power bank, warm clothes and blankets, high-visibility clothing, jump leads, food and drink, a first aid kit and a shovel. For longer journeys, National Highways adds any medication you need and a charged phone.
What should be in a winter car kit?
The Highway Code suggests de-icer and an ice scraper, a torch, warm clothing and boots, a first aid kit, jump leads, a shovel, a warm drink and emergency food. The Met Office also suggests a paper road atlas, an empty fuel can, sunglasses for low winter sun and high-visibility clothing.
What should a car first aid kit contain?
St John Ambulance lists items such as sterile wound dressings and pads, plasters, bandages (roller, triangular and tubular), disposable gloves, a face shield, cleansing wipes, gauze, tape, scissors, pins and an aluminium (foil) blanket. Keep it in a clean, waterproof box that's easy to reach.
Do I need a warning triangle or hi-vis vest to drive in Europe?
Often, yes. GOV.UK says you need a reflective jacket and a warning triangle in many countries. Requirements vary, so check the rules for each country on your route before you go, including in a hire car.
Can I use a warning triangle on the motorway?
No. The Highway Code says never use warning triangles on motorways. On other roads, place one at least 45 metres (147 feet) behind your vehicle on the same side of the road.
What should I do if I'm stranded in my car?
Be Ready says that if you're delayed or stranded, the general advice is to stay where you are and wait for help. If you've broken down, move somewhere safe if you can and follow National Highways' go left, get safe, get help advice.
Sources
- GOV.UK Be Ready — Transport disruption and delays
- The Highway Code — Driving in adverse weather conditions (rules 226 to 237)
- The Highway Code — Breakdowns and incidents (rules 274 to 287)
- The Highway Code — Annex 7: First aid on the road
- National Highways — Breakdowns
- Met Office — Prepare a winter kit for your car
- St John Ambulance — What to put in a first aid kit
- GOV.UK — Driving abroad
- GOV.UK — Driving in the EU