⚠️ Breakdown emergency kit checklist

The first minute of a breakdown decides how safe the rest of it is — get off the road if you can, get seen, then work through the kit.

18 items

1. Getting safe first
2. Hazards on the moment something feels wrongBefore working out what's wrong, not after — being seen comes first.
3. Everyone out of the car and behind the barrier on a motorwayThe car is replaceable. Standing next to it on the hard shoulder is the actual danger.
4. Warning triangle set out well behind the car on a slower roadNever used on a motorway, where you'd have to walk back into traffic to place it.
5. Hi-vis vest×2One per person likely to be in the car, kept somewhere reachable without leaving your seat first.
6. Breakdown provider's number written downNot just saved in a phone that could be the thing that's dead or out of charge.
7. Phone charger or a power bankA dead phone at the roadside turns a quick call for help into a much longer problem.
8. First aid kitFor a minor injury while waiting, not a substitute for calling an ambulance if it's more than that.
9. TorchFor checking under the bonnet or being seen in the dark, whichever comes first.
10. Jump leads or a portable jump starterA flat battery is the single most common reason for calling for help — often fixable without waiting for recovery.
11. Tyre inflator or a sealant kitFor a car with no spare wheel, which is most of them now — check what yours actually has before you need it.
12. Locking wheel nut key kept with the carUseless left in a drawer at home if a tyre needs changing at the roadside.
13. Insurance and breakdown cover details saved offlineSignal at the roadside isn't guaranteed — have the policy number somewhere that doesn't need it.
14. WaterFor anyone in the car during a longer wait, especially with children.
15. BlanketFor a wait in the cold, whatever season the breakdown itself happens in.
16. Sturdy shoes kept in the carWhatever you're wearing when it happens is what you're standing at the roadside in — worth having a backup pair for a verge or gravel.
17. Note of the exact locationA marker post number or what3words, so the recovery service can find you without guessing at a junction number.
18. Spare fuses and a basic tool kitFor the small electrical fault that stops the car for no obvious reason and needs nothing more than a five-minute fix.