Collection: Car & Winter Driving Kits

A car emergency kit earns its boot space the first time you're stuck on a cold hard shoulder. These kits and winter driving essentials cover breakdowns, snow, floods and long delays — warmth, visibility, escape tools and the basics to keep everyone comfortable until help arrives.

What should a car emergency kit include?

The essentials: a hi-vis vest and warning triangle, a torch, a foil blanket or proper blanket, a phone power bank, water and snacks, de-icer and a scraper in winter, and a seatbelt cutter / window breaker escape tool within reach of the driver's seat — not buried in the boot.

Winter driving kits

UK winters rarely bring Alpine snow, but they reliably bring hours-long closures on cold, dark evenings. A winter car kit adds hand warmers and blankets, extra light and food to the breakdown basics, so a stranded hour with kids in the back is boring rather than miserable.

Car kit FAQs

What do I legally need to carry in my car in the UK?

The UK doesn't mandate carrying a kit (unlike France's hi-vis and triangle rules), but the Highway Code recommends visibility and warmth essentials — and if you drive to Europe, local rules apply.

Where should a car escape tool be kept?

Mounted or stowed within arm's reach of the driver — door pocket, centre console or glovebox. In the boot it can't help you.

What's worth adding for winter?

Hand warmers, a proper blanket, a shovel, grip mats, extra screenwash rated to low temperatures, and food you'd actually be glad of after two hours stationary.

Do foil blankets really work?

Yes — they reflect your own body heat back and pack down to nothing. For long waits, pair one with a normal blanket: foil layer outside, soft layer against you.