Roadside Emergency Kits

Are You Ready? Anticipated Heavy Snow May Cause Hazardous Driving Conditions

Baraboo, WI - The Sauk County Sheriff’s Department and Sauk County Emergency Management want to encourage the citizens of Sauk County to take steps to prepare for a potential crisis.

Have you ever been in this scenario? It's 11:00 p.m.; snowing and icy; and you're driving on a lone country road that's dark and desolate. You know in an instant that something's wrong as you feel your vehicle start sliding. Controlling the vehicle becomes increasingly difficult and you slide off into a snow filled ditch.

If you're lucky to have an account with the Auto Club and your cellular phone or OnStar works, help is only a phone call away. If not, you're either faced with having to hail a passing motorist or spend a night in the cold. That is, unless you have a well-stocked emergency roadside kit in the trunk of your car.

When it comes to commuting or traveling any lengthy distance, a roadside emergency kit can mean the difference between a comfortable wait or being stuck for a long period of time in freezing temperatures. A roadside emergency kit is the one item that every vehicle should have; yet most of us never carry any of the basic items to help you get back on the road quickly and safely.

Some of the basic items include:
• 12-foot jumper cables
• Four 15-minute roadside flares
• Candles and matches
• Two quarts of oil
• Gallon of antifreeze
• First aid kit
• Blankets
• Boots, hats, and gloves
• Extra fuses
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Assorted tools
• Tire inflator (such as a Fix-A-Flat)
• Tire pressure gauge
• Roll of paper towels
• Roll of duct tape
• Spray bottle with washer fluid
• Ice scraper
• Pen and paper
• Granola or energy bars
• Bottled water
• Shovel
• Sand and/or salt

A pre-assembled emergency roadside kits can be bought at Readywisconsin.wi.gov.

Remember that the most important item is your own good judgment and slowing down in extreme weather conditions. Motorists are remined to stay with their vehicle in extreme weather conditions.

Unfortunately, there isn't "one tool for all roadside emergency needs." But with a little planning and a smidgen of trunk space, an emergency roadside kit can often save the day.

Sheriff Meister says, “ I encourage the citizens of Sauk County to carefully monitor the weather conditions. In case you have to travel in this anticipated bad weather be prepared and let someone know where you are going and when you are expected to arrive.”