Car Emergency Kit Checklist for Pakistan Roads

Every car in Pakistan should carry a basic emergency kit: a warning triangle, a reflective vest, a torch, a working spare tyre with a jack and wheel brace, a tyre inflator, jump leads or a portable jump starter, a first aid kit, drinking water, a phone power bank and copies of your documents and emergency numbers. Add extra items for long trips, summer heat, winter in the hills and travel off the main roads.

None of this needs to be expensive. Most of it fits in a single bag or box in the boot. The point is that when something goes wrong, at night, on a motorway or far from a town, you can keep yourself safe and get help quickly.

Safety essentials

• Warning triangle: placed well behind your car so other drivers have time to react. Motorway Police expect drivers to carry one.
• Reflective vest: one for the driver at least, so you are visible at night and in fog.
• Torch: an LED torch with spare batteries, or a rechargeable one you keep charged. A head torch frees both hands.
• Fire extinguisher: a small car extinguisher, mounted securely, is worth having, especially in older cars and cars with CNG kits. Check the gauge and expiry date.
• Phone power bank and charging cable: your phone is your link to help, your map and your torch.

Tyre tools

• Spare tyre: check its pressure every month. A flat spare is no help.
• Jack and wheel brace: make sure they are in the car and that the brace fits your wheel nuts.
• Locking wheel nut key, if your car has locking nuts.
• 12V tyre inflator: lets you top up a slow puncture to reach a tyre shop.
• Tyre pressure gauge: more reliable than the gauge on a petrol pump air machine.
• Tubeless puncture repair kit: a temporary fix for small tread punctures, if you know how to use it.
• Gloves and a small mat or piece of cardboard to kneel on.

If your car came with a temporary space-saver spare, read the speed and distance limits printed on it or in your manual, and drive within them until the full-size tyre is repaired.

Battery and engine items

• Jump leads or a portable lithium jump starter. Keep a jump starter charged and follow its storage temperature limits; a parked car's cabin can get extremely hot in summer.
• A bottle of the coolant your manufacturer recommends, plus a bottle of clean water.
• A litre of the correct engine oil.
• Spare fuses of the ratings your car uses, and the fuse puller.
• Duct tape, cable ties and a basic screwdriver and spanner set.
• A clean cloth and some hand wipes.

First aid and personal items

• A first aid kit with plasters, bandages, antiseptic, gauze, tape, scissors and gloves.
• Any regular medicines you or your family need, plus basic pain relief.
• Drinking water, more than you think you need in summer.
• Dry snacks such as biscuits, nuts or dates.
• A small umbrella, and a cap or scarf for sun protection.
• Tissues and wet wipes.

Documents and numbers

Keep photocopies or phone photos of your registration, driving licence, CNIC and insurance policy. Write the important numbers on a card in the glovebox in case your phone dies.

• National Highways and Motorway Police (NH&MP): 130
• Rescue 1122
• Police: 15
• Your insurer's claims helpline
• A 24/7 recovery service
• A family member or friend to contact in an emergency

Extras for long trips

• A printed map or offline maps on your phone, for areas with weak signal.
• A strong tow strap with proper hooks or shackles, for off-road recovery only. Never use it to tow a car on a motorway.
• A small shovel, useful in sand, mud or snow.
• A reflective jacket or vest for every passenger on night drives.
• Extra drinking water and a cool box in summer.

Extras for summer

Summer heat in Sindh, southern Punjab and Balochistan is hard on people as well as cars. Carry extra water, a sunshade for the windscreen, light cotton cloth to cover children and the elderly, and oral rehydration salts. Do not leave lighters, aerosols or lithium devices in a parked car in direct sun.

Extras for winter and the hills

For winter trips to Murree, Galiyat, Swat, Naran or other hill areas, add warm clothes and blankets, an ice scraper, de-icer, and snow chains that fit your tyre size. Learn how to fit the chains at home before you need them. Check the latest weather and road updates from the Pakistan Meteorological Department and the local authorities before you set off, because hill roads can close at short notice.

What the kit is not for

An emergency kit helps you stay safe and handle small problems, but it does not replace proper help. Do not change a tyre on the traffic side of a motorway, do not use a tow strap to pull a broken-down car along a public road, and do not try engine repairs at night on a busy road. If the problem is beyond a quick, safe fix, get everyone behind the barrier or away from the traffic, use your triangle and vest, and call Motorway Police or a recovery service. The kit is there to keep you safe and comfortable while you wait.

Check your kit regularly

Put a reminder in your phone to check the kit every three months and before every long trip. Replace used items, charge the power bank and jump starter, check the spare tyre pressure and throw out expired medicines. A kit that has quietly emptied over the past year is not much help on the night you need it.