Emergency Preparedness Kit for Your Car

As a San Francisco Bay Area resident, you’re probably well prepared for an earthquake. You have a stash of water, blankets, flashlights and batteries, a radio, canned food, extra clothes, and extra cash (at least $200) stored in a safe place. But how prepared are you to deal with an emergency on the road? Consumer Reports recommends drivers outfit their vehicles with the following items: cell phone, hazard triangles or flares, jumper cables, flashlight, roadside-assistance membership, tow-rope, duct tape (for emergency repairs), small shovel and a bag of sand (to get traction if your tires are spinning), windshield scraper, blanket, and hand warmers (particularly necessary if you drive to snow country). Based on decades of driving, we’d add water, old tennis shoes, a rain slicker, and a first aid kit. What’s in your emergency car kit?