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To ensure you’re prepared for any eventuality for driving during the winter, here’s everything you should include in a winter survival kit:

  • An ice scraper and a good-quality aerosol de-icer
  • Extra antifreeze and screen wash.
  • A foldable shovel, spare socks, and an old pair of walking boots in case you ever need to dig your car out of the snow.
  • Road salt, grit, or cat litter to provide traction if you ever get stuck in heavy snow.
  • Snow socks, which will help your tyres gain traction in the snow.
  • A car cover, which will protect your vehicle from the worst of the winter weather when you’re not using it.
  • Gloves, a hat, an old coat, and a thick blanket.
  • Sunglasses (to protect you from winter sun).
  • A hi-vis vest.
  • An in-car mobile phone charger.
  • An LED torch.
  • A comprehensive first-aid kit.
  • Energy bars with a long shelf life and bottled water, in case you end up stranded by the side of the road.
  • Jump leads, in case you or another motorist requires a jump start.
  • An emergency warning triangle, to serve as a visual alert to other motorists, roadside assistance, and the emergency services in case you ever break down or are involved in an accident.

While some of this equipment may be excessive if you live in an urban area, we recommend anyone who lives in the countryside puts this winter emergency kit together and keeps it in the boot of their car from the end of October until the threat of frost has passed, which in some years is as late as April or even May.