To remind people to have a breakdown bag in their car?

[JustWantCoffee]

This is a seriously un-smug post, as I do have a breakdown bag in my car, but today I have broken down in a vehicle that is not my car, and I do not have my breakdown bag.

I have therefore been shivering by the side of a motorway for nearly 2hrs getting colder and colder wishing I had my breakdown bag.

so if you don’t have one, I would thoroughly recommend making one. Mine has a hat, gloves, warm jumper, waterproof mac, small towel, water, biscuits, torch and a phone battery in it.

Never have I wanted that old hat and pair of gloves so much, and am trying to work out at what point the risk of hypothermia overtakes the risk of sitting in the vehicle…

We always carry extra socks, gloves, jacket, foil blankets, first aid kits, water, barley sugar sweets, fluorescent pac a macs, an old wool blanket (it helps the tyres grip in snow) an emergency red triangle, folding spade. I keep these in the cars year round.

I have an emergency backpack in my car boot for this sort of situation. It has spare clothes, old trainers, hat and gloves, foil blanket and plastic poncho, some long life food, bottles of water, toothbrush, soap, first aid kit and meds like paracetamol and antihistamines, phone charger, a book, some cash, important phone numbers written down and a photocopy of my passport for ID.

It has come in useful for all kinds of situations - I live on my own so if I were to have an emergency hospital admission someone can grab the bag for me, I've been stranded at work overnight because of bad snow and had overnight essentials in the bag, I've had a kid throw up on me at work and I've got spare clothes in the bag.

I tried to think of a worst case scenario such as I have to leave the house in the middle of the night in January wearing only my pjs because of a fire/gas leak/whatever and put what I might immediately need in that situation in the back pack.

Spare socks if you get your feet wet.

I’ve broken down on motorway too and it’s horrible.

Agree that I don’t understand why the barbed wire is there so you can’t get further away. Seems counter intuitive.

Hope your safe now.

Ah damn it!

No way they should leave a woman alone in this situation for this long. Absolutely irresponsible. They should let you go somewhere warm and safe and recover the goddam vehicle regardless.

If your breakdown does take a very long time, please do contact them asking for compensation. They are quite generous with it.

I hope they rescue you soon, the RAC left me for 7 hours, in Nov about 3 years ago.
How I didn't need a wee I don't know but it was very scary & cold.

Get home safe.

I also changed my breakdown to green flag who touch wood have been brilliant when I've needed them.

I also now have a new car!

Bless you for posting this @JustWantCoffee I will get one organised this week. Great thread, and very useful advice. Hope you're OK now!

I hope you are safely home soon OP.

I'm sure you are tucked up at home by now. But thank you for the reminder. I will check what is in the car. DH thought I was nuts when I gave him DS's old emergency blanket for the car. (babies like the crinkle sound)

I was rescued by DH, and a shout out also to my in-laws who took the offspring to allow him to rescue me.

I’m now safely home in the warm eating carbs like they are going out of fashion.

The breakdown truck arrived around 3hrs ish after first called, but given the distance to home it has only taken dh part of the way and deposited him in a service station and apparently another will do the next leg of the journey… the first estimate given for this is 4hrs in the future…

anyway, thanks to dh I am safely home a mere 16.5hrs after I left this morning, and tomorrow I will be in my car with the breakdown bag, and I seriously hope not to need it

thank you for keeping me company, and I’ll update when dh manages to get home.

I also have realised how naive I was… I assumed if you broke down somewhere dangerous you’d get help in an hour, or maybe 2 if busy…. Not over 3. And that wasn’t even to get home!

The other striking thing was they didn’t tell me who was coming to help me, only that it was one of their ‘trusted partners’- I had to call again and ask for who this would be, as otherwise do I just accept anyone with a tow truck as my saviour (tbh, I’m getting on and I was cold so I’d probably be willing to take my chances)

DH gets many brownie points tonight

I had a breakdown two weeks ago, it made me check I had recovery on all our vehicles and put up to date details in each glove box. But a great shout to now do a bag in each of essentials. Really glad I came across this thread. Glad your home safe. Hope your husband is home soon.

So glad you are home, safe and well carbed!

This is a helpful reminder as I just started doing a four day a week commute after years of only pootling around my home town. Hope you’re feeling more cosy by now OP!

I need to sort mine out, at the moment I would have to make do with a cushion, hard hat, a load of plastic aprons, shoe covers, flea spray and a wall clock. I do have a high Vis jacket though so one thing in my favour and a couple of first aid kits.

Oh and I probably have enough paper to write the first chapter of my memoirs a novel.

A cup to wee in and toilet paper.

Thanks for the reminder to put all the stuff in an easy to grab bag...I would have all the coats, blankets food etc but it's not much use if you have to spend 5 minutes getting individual items from under all the seats...

I do wonder how I would manage with 2 pre schoolers, one of them is very obedient but it could be quite awkward to get them both out quickly, with a bag of stuff.

@Topofthemountain you would at least be memorable for anyone passing by! I had a blanket wrapped around my head after the first half hour, but thanks to motorway speed I doubt anyone really noticed

When I first joined the RAC, many many years ago I was given a breakdown survival type kit - emergency blanket, boiled sweets, a little RAC slide puzzle and paper and pen. Possibly other things too.

I try to have a small road map too, sometimes the old way is best if you need to divert and sat navs are just trying to re-route you back to where you came from.

or just wee in the grass? What would you do with the wee once it's in the cup?

Sorry!

I mean, it will give out some heat but not enough to heat an entire car, and tbh I'm not sure how safe having an open flame in a car really is!

would also wonder about carbon monoxide? should never burn things unless well ventilated... I mean 1 candle wouldn't be much but in general probably not a great idea...