Car emergency kit checklist: what to keep in your car this winter, and all year

The checklist

Winter essentials: the Highway Code's rule 228 list is the core: de-icer and an ice scraper, a torch, warm clothing and boots, a first aid kit, jump leads and a shovel, plus a warm drink and emergency food “in case you get stuck or your vehicle breaks down”. National Highways adds water, blankets, a fully charged mobile with a car charger, and sunglasses for the low winter sun; the RAC adds a hi-vis jacket, a wind-up torch, screenwash, a road atlas, an empty fuel can and the locking wheel nut key; the AA adds waterproofs. The Met Office's kit page, written by the RAC, suggests hot drinks in a flask.

All year: the AA's year-round list is a spare tyre with jack and wrench, or a repair kit, a tyre pressure gauge, jump leads or a portable jump starter, a first aid kit, a warning triangle, a hi-vis vest, a wind-up torch, a phone charger or power bank, non-perishable snacks, a road atlas and a few warm layers. Our car emergency kits page compares the ready-made bags; the car kit builder sizes a list to who travels with you.

For a long journey: National Highways adds any medication you need, a charged phone, food and water, and a Hidden Disabilities Sunflower if you use one. The RAC's driving-in-snow page adds spare screenwash and a square of carpet for under the drive wheels if you get stuck.

A recommended kit, and three legal duties

Rule 228 says to take the kit; it does not say you must. The MUSTs are about seeing and being seen. Rule 229: you MUST be able to see, so clear all snow and ice from all your windows, and you MUST ensure that lights are clean and number plates are clearly visible and legible. Rule 228 opens with the forecast and “DO NOT drive in these conditions unless your journey is essential”. Our guides on defrosting your car and the law and driving in snow and ice cover rules 228 to 231.

Phones, power banks and jump starters

A charged phone with an in-car charger or battery pack is on every list; the Met Office adds that a phone light won't really give you visibility, so pack a proper torch. The AA says a portable jump starter is a simple alternative to jump leads if no other driver is around.

One rule for any lithium battery: do not store it in the car all year. Electrical Safety First says not to leave a power pack in a parked car where it could get cold in winter or hot in summer, and the Nottinghamshire and West Yorkshire fire services say to keep batteries out of hot vehicles and away from extreme temperatures. None gives a figure. A power bank or jump starter travels with you for the journey and comes indoors between trips.

Fuel cans: the law, and the usual advice

The RAC and the Met Office list an empty fuel can; the RAC notes that running out of fuel remains a common reason motorists become stranded. Empty is the usual advice. If you do carry petrol, the Petroleum (Consolidation) Regulations 2014 (England, Wales and Scotland) allow no more than 30 litres in no more than two suitable portable containers in a vehicle: plastic up to 10 litres, metal up to 20 litres. A suitable container is in good repair, secure from leaking, and marked PETROL and HIGHLY FLAMMABLE. The HSE's summary adds that the petrol in your own fuel tank does not count.

Warning triangles: never on a motorway

Carry one if you like: the RAC and the Met Office kit page suggest two, and the RAC notes they are a legal requirement in many European countries. On an ordinary road, Highway Code rule 276 says to place it at least 45 metres (147 feet) behind your vehicle on the same side of the road, and never to stand between your vehicle and oncoming traffic. On a motorway the rule is absolute: never use them on motorways (rule 276), and rule 277 and National Highways both say do not place a warning triangle on the carriageway.

If you break down on a motorway: go left, get safe, get help

Rule 275: on motorways and other high-speed roads, the safest place to stop is a service area; hard shoulders provide less protection because they are so close to high-speed traffic. National Highways adds: do not stop in a live lane unless absolutely necessary.

If you cannot, rule 277 gives three steps. Go left: stop as far to the left as possible, with your wheels turned to the left; on a motorway without a hard shoulder, emergency areas are marked by blue signs with an orange SOS telephone symbol (rule 270). Get safe: exit your vehicle by the side furthest from traffic, if it is safe and possible to do so, put on hi-vis if it is within easy reach, and do not return to your vehicle even if it's raining, cold or dark. Get help: use the free emergency telephone (National Highways also gives 0300 123 5000), then a breakdown recovery service, and always face the traffic when you speak.

If you cannot get to the left or get out safely, stay in your vehicle, keep your seat belts and hazard warning lights on, and call 999 immediately and ask for the police. In an emergency area, rule 278 says you MUST use the emergency telephone provided and follow the operator's advice for exiting.

If you are stuck in snow

The Met Office, in travel advice produced with National Highways, says: if you get stuck, stay with your car and tie something brightly coloured to your aerial. That is where UK national guidance stops: we found no Highway Code, National Highways, Met Office or fire service page on running the engine for warmth.

The closest UK public-body advice is Ceredigion County Council's: run the engine and heater for about 10 minutes every hour, open a window slightly to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, and periodically clear snow from the exhaust pipe. The US National Weather Service says the same. Carbon monoxide has no colour or smell; our guide to carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms covers the warning signs.

What to leave out: candles, matches and knives

Candles and matches are on the Met Office's list for being cut off at home, not in any car kit, and an open flame in a car is a fire and carbon monoxide risk. Not in the car.

Knives and bladed multi-tools stay out too. In England and Wales, section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 makes it an offence to have a bladed or sharply pointed article with you in a public place without good reason or lawful authority; the only exception is a folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of 3 inches or less, and the Crown Prosecution Service confirms a lock knife does not count as one. A blade in the car counts as one you have with you if it is nearby, under your control or immediately accessible, under a seat for instance, and a public road is a public place. So a lock knife, a fixed blade or any folding blade over 3 inches in the glovebox or boot needs a good reason, which a court decides. Scotland's wording is “reasonable excuse”. A car kit does not need one.

Before a long winter journey

Check the forecast and warnings first; our weather warnings tracker shows the live Met Office picture. The AA's winter checks: tyre tread at or above the legal 1.6mm, pressures, battery, lights, wipers, screenwash at a suitable winter concentration. National Highways asks for a roadworthy car with enough fuel, and main roads where you can.

The AA's steer is a calm one: rather than carrying everything but the kitchen sink, focus on a few useful essentials, and if conditions could make driving dangerous, consider whether your journey is really necessary. Most winter journeys are fine; this is the kit that makes a long wait comfortable and safe. Our winter driving kit page compares the scrapers, de-icers and shovels.