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    Staying Safe on the Road

    By 238 Comments

    Disclosure:  I received the kit below in exchange for sharing this information.

    state farm

    According to a survey completed by State Farm® and KRC Research, 67% of drivers had some sort of “junk” (non-emergency supplies) in their trunk ranging from shoes to toys to used food or drink containers.  Another statistic found was that while nearly all drivers (96%) had at least one emergency item in their vehicle, such as a spare tire or jumper cables, only 5% carried all the emergency roadside equipment one needs (including jumper cables, spare tire, hazard traiange/road flares, flashlight, first aid kit, windshield scraper, water, non-perishable food and a blanket.)  Some drivers even noted they had strange items including an old gorilla costume, inflatable sheep and a wedding dress!

    Getting rid of non-essential “junk” is the first step towards being safe on the road.  Even on a short trip, you could find yourself stranded for several hours.  Whether it is because of an accident, weather or mechanical issue, it is important to be as prepared as you can.  I know the weather especially has been crazy across the nation this time of the year.  I think of those people in Georgia who had to leave their cars on the expressway because the roads basically shut down.  I have been stuck myself on the highways here in Chicago for hours before because of an accident that made it impossible to go around.

    While I don’t have all the essentials in my car currently, I am working on it.  As a driver who usually has three kids in the car with me, it is especially important to be prepared on the road.  Cell phones make it a lot easier to get nowadays but they shouldn’t be the only thing we rely on.

    State Farm insurance encourages responsible driving every day of the year, and especially during cold weather months when inclement weather is more common.  Here is a list of emergency roadside items they recommend having in your car:

    • Hazard triangle (with reflectors) or road flares
    • First aid kit
    • Jumper cables
    • Windshield scraper and brush
    • Spare tire
    • Blankets and extra warm clothing
    • Cell phone and charger
    • High-calorie, non-perishable food
    • Road salt or cat litter to help with tire traction
    • Brightly colored distress sign or “Help” or “Call Police” flag
    • Candle/matches, lighter, and/or flashlight
    • Tarp for sitting or kneeling in the snow for exterior work like a tire change

    In addition to having all the items above in your car, it is recommended to check to make sure they are still there and in good condition throughout the year.  The only thing worse than getting a flat tire is finding out that your spare is also flat.  You never never too if something was accidentally removed by someone in your household and never replaced.

    VISIT:  For additional information and emergency roadside tips, visit State Farm.

    WIN IT:  (1) US winner will receive a Trunk Safety Makeover Kit courtesy of State Farm ($50 Value)

    state farm prize pack

    Need help entering a giveaway?  Check out my blog post for some help!

    GIVEAWAY ENTRY:

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    This Giveaway Ends March 7, 2014.

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    Comments

    6. Laurie Emerson says

      I have a broken generator that was supposed to go to the shop to be fixed in my trunk right now.

      Reply

    8. Dawn K says

      I teach at four schools, and am project based. My trunk is always packed with project materials, from peanut butter lids, to microscopes, tin foil to toilet paper tubes.

      Reply

    10. Jessica Whitehouse says

      We don’t carry a lot of “junk” mainly just toolbox, jumper cables, and spar tire. I think there might be a small ice chest in there but we use that for groceries.

      Reply

    16. brittney says

      I have all kind of junk mail i keep forgetting to throw away. the bag just gets bigger and bigger..

      Reply

    21. Michael Healy says

      I have a green Conicle , plastic, Christmas tree! It has been in the back of my trunk for months!

      Reply

    26. Marilyn Nawara says

      I have a pair of old tennis shoes that are so dirty that I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing them.

      Reply

    33. Angela Cisco says

      Honestly the bigger question is what junk is not in my trunk right now. My husband has a months supply of clothing back there

      Reply

    37. Karen Drake says

      I have empty shipping boxes in my trunk, I don’t really know where to store them so I just left them there.

      Reply

    38. Debbie says

      I have a couple of wooden slats, paper lawn bags, boxed toaster oven and a pair of long tree branch loppers in my trunk.

      Reply

    39. Jennifer says

      At the moment I have a ripped up magazine from June of last year, that for some reason i just keep forgetting to take out.

      Reply

    41. Rebecca Lock says

      I just cleaned out my car today but their was mosquito spray that is not necessary during the winter in Colorado.

      Reply

    43. Michelle L. says

      With three kids and all of their friends, I am afraid to look in the back of my minivan! I know there are probably some empty– or half-empty– water bottles, candy wrappers, and sneakers back there.

      Reply

    45. Jara Christensen says

      I have waaaay too much junk back there, I think right now I have some trash and some old magazines

      Reply

    54. Laura F. says

      The only thing in my trunk right now is a bag of goods to be donated. I seriously need to remember to drop that off…

      Reply

    58. Zené says

      We (read, I) normally leave all kinds of stuff I “might” need in the back. Coats, snacks, plastic bags.

      Reply

    59. Carl Cederlund says

      I have an ice scraper for the windows that is half broken. That means that it is half good. Right?

      Reply

    60. Allie B. says

      One piece of “junk” I have in my trunk is an old pet carrier I never used. It was a very cheap one, keeps falling apart!

      Reply

    65. Sarah Oswald says

      I only have recycling to go to the recycling drop off center besides other stuff that is car related.

      Reply

    70. Dawn Mamon says

      There is some junk in my trunk. The first thing that comes to mind is a detachable tray that goes on to the double stroller, it sits in my trunk and I have never used it.

      Reply

    71. Catherine M. says

      The piece of junk I have in my car is trash. Literally trash. Put it in their when going to the park and always forget to put it in the garbage can when I get back hom.

      Reply

    72. Christina says

      I have my winter coat from 2 years ago in my trunk, I don’t even have a spare tire…but I have a coat! My husband is a neat freak so junk isn’t allowed…he cleans out my car!

      Reply

    74. Cori Westphal says

      Not sure it’s junk, but I have a vacuum in my trunk! And I have two boxes of stuff to drop at Goodwill!

      coriwestphal at msn dot com

      Reply

    75. Laura J says

      I have an old phone system that my son was going to drop off at his previous employment….over a year ago! There is sits still! LOL

      Reply

    79. Ron Casteel says

      Oh lets see I have empty soda cans coffee cups water bottles dirty clothes from the grand kids and a sleeping bag

      Reply

    84. Terra Heck says

      I have a box of yarn in my trunk. It’s all tangled up and needs to be thrown away. Thanks.
      partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com

      Reply

    95. Tamesa says

      I have an old car seat, worn out jumper cables, a jacket, and a few random grocery sacks. Thanks for the chance to win this awesome giveaway! Good luck to all! 🙂

      Reply

    113. Crystalis says

      I desperastely need to clean my blazer. My husband drives it all week for work and it accumulates jackets,tools, candy and other misc “junk”.

      Reply

    118. Tara Liebing says

      I have a bag full of old mats from our bathroom at our old house. We moved last October and they’ve been laying in there ever since.

      Reply

    120. Jamie Brigham says

      I have baby clothing I am donating to people in need, I have a spare tire, a big comforter, tons of my sons toys and even crumbs from him eating LOL

      Reply

    140. Julie B. says

      Oh, the car is very cluttered right now! We have lots of water bottles and empty bags of chips in the car, as well as random pieces of junk mail we just tossed in the backseat of the car.

      Reply

    150. Dorothy Teel says

      Well for the longest time we had a rusted donut tire in our trunk, but replaced it last week now the only thing that is junk that is in the trunk might be the old jack stand.. THe kind that you wind to raise and lower the car..

      Reply

    158. Tammy Marie Markham says

      well if you are talking about real junk, that has nothing to do with car care, then it would have to be a box of work papers. if you are talking about car care, then we have a window scrapper. and of course a jack and a spare tire.

      Reply

    167. Sheila K. says

      I have an old shower curtain that I keep in the trunk for whenever I buy soil or mulch to bring home so they won’t mess up my car!

      Reply

    187. June S. says

      My trunk is actually pretty empty and cleaned out right now. It’s the car’s floor that is a real mess from all the snow and slush that we have gotten this winter.

      Reply

    198. Brutus Duffy says

      I have a replica of a dog’s heart with heartworm coming out of it in my trunk. I keep meaning to bring it inside to list on Ebay.

      Reply

    201. Tracy Robertson says

      I keep emergency supplies in the trunk of my car in case a disaster happens (blankets, a few cans of food and the like) but nothing that would actually help the car, which I should have. As for junk in my trunk (LOL!) I’m pretty sure I have some expired coupons and junk mail buried in there somewhere.

      Reply

    206. Beanybopp says

      We have towels for some odd reason still in the trunk from god only knows when and a bug net for our stroller in there….who knows what else but that is what I saw the other day while putting groceries in it. lol

      Reply

    215. sarah jerome says

      I don’t carry junk in my car.. but do carry supplies I might need to operate my car… floor jack. 4 way, fluids, oil etc…

      Reply

    218. Sandra VanHoey says

      We have a bag of books we keep forgetting to take to the Goodwill. They’re not really junk but they are in there in a bag and taking up room

      Reply

    223. Jerry C says

      I have a piece of junk ice scraper that I bought at Dollar Tree. You can just imagine how good it is for a dollar. LOL

      Reply

    224. nuronerd says

      I have some old, non-working speaker my partner promises to fix in the trunk. We also have a make shift emergency kit but it is severely lacking in equipment.

      Reply

    229. Janet W. says

      For some reason I’m still carrying around an old, dirty tarp that I used a while back and haven’t taken out of my car yet.

      Reply

    233. Tammy S says

      We have been driving around with the Sun Shade Visor for the front window all winter. It’s not like we have had to use it for months and months! 🙂

      Reply

    238. Ashley C says

      I currently have a lot of reusable grocery totes in my trunk, way more than I need (probably 10+!)

      demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com

      Reply

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