Winter car emergency kit: what to keep in your car

Whose list is this?

Road and weather agencies in different countries publish winter car lists that overlap a great deal. The UK Highway Code’s rule 228, last updated on 22 October 2025, says that in icy or snowy weather you should not drive unless your journey is essential, and if it is, 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 in case you get stuck or break down. The Met Office’s winter car kit, written with RAC experts, adds a paper road atlas, an in-car phone charger, high-visibility clothing, an empty fuel can, two warning triangles and sunglasses for low winter sun. National Highways lists warm clothes, coats, water, a torch, a shovel, a blanket and non-perishable snacks.

In North America, Ready.gov’s winter page lists jumper cables, sand, a flashlight, warm clothes, blankets, bottled water and non-perishable snacks, and its car page adds flares or a reflective triangle, an ice scraper, a car phone charger and a map. The National Weather Service’s survival kit is the longest: sleeping bags, a knife, high-calorie food, extra clothing, a large empty can as an emergency toilet, a small can and waterproof matches to melt snow for drinking water, a tow rope, a tool kit, a compass and road maps. Ontario’s winter survival kit adds traction mats. The builder takes the core from all of them and adds the longer lists only for remote trips and severe weather, so the car isn’t full of things you will never need on a school run.

Why each item earns its place

• Scraper and de-icer: the Met Office points out that you must legally keep your front and rear windscreens clear of snow and ice before driving.
• Jump leads: batteries are more likely to fail in cold weather.
• Shovel, and sand or cat litter: to dig out the wheels, give the tyres grip, and keep the exhaust pipe clear if you are stuck.
• Warm layers and blankets for everyone: a stopped car gets cold quickly. Watch for the signs Ready.gov lists: shivering, confusion, fumbling hands and slurred speech for hypothermia, and numb, white or greyish-yellow, waxy skin for frostbite. Our sister site Hilltop Cove works out wind chill for the forecast.
• Phone and charger, paper map: a flat phone takes your map and your way of calling for help with it.
• Bright cloth: the NWS suggests a bright cloth, preferably red, on the aerial or door so rescuers can see you.

Stuck in snow: what to do

Every agency agrees on the first step: stay with the car. The NWS explains that if you leave it you will quickly become disoriented in wind-driven snow and cold; the Met Office, with National Highways, says to stay with your car and tie something brightly coloured to your aerial; Ready.gov says that if you are trapped in your car, stay inside. Then the NWS routine: run the engine about 10 minutes each hour for heat, open a window a little while it runs to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, clear snow from the exhaust pipe, turn on the inside light at night when the engine is running, raise the bonnet once the snow stops falling, and move your arms, legs, fingers and toes now and then to keep the blood flowing. The step card puts that in order with your country’s emergency number, ready to print and keep in the glovebox.

Electric cars have no exhaust to block, but the heater draws on the same battery that drives the car, so set off fully charged, as National Highways advises, use the heater sparingly and rely on the blankets and clothes in the kit.

Before a holiday drive

US Thanksgiving falls on Thursday 26 November 2026 and Christmas Day on Friday 25 December, with New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January 2027, so many long winter journeys come in the same few weeks. Ready.gov says to keep a full tank of gas. National Highways’ T.R.I.P. advice is to top up fuel, oil and screenwash and make sure you are charged, plan a break of at least 15 minutes every two hours, check tyre tread and pressure, and check the forecast for your route. The NWS adds: let someone know where you are going and what route you will take, so if something happens they will know where to start a search. Children and pets need their own warm layers, water and snacks in the car, as a delay can turn a three-hour drive into a long night.

Common mistakes

• Kit in the garage, not the car. It only helps if it is in the boot (trunk) when you set off.
• Running the engine with the exhaust buried. Clear it first, and keep a window open a little.
• Walking off for help in a blizzard. The car is shelter and easier for rescuers to find.
• Setting off on a low tank or charge. Fill up before a long winter drive.

The emergency kit list builder covers the home kit; the go bag checklist the bag you would grab if you had to leave.

General information, not legal or medical advice. Driving rules differ by country and region; follow police and road authority instructions, and call your emergency number if anyone is in danger.