Doesn’t it just feel like every day is a state of emergency right now? Not only do we have this global pandemic happening, but there are earthquakes, tornados, and of course, the worry that the economy is about to collapse.
We’re definitely living in scary times, that’s for sure, but if you’re a car owner, our advice is to hang onto that vehicle. You never know when your car could be just the thing to get you out of a sticky situation, and even save a life.
Here are three ways your car could help you in an emergency:
Sickness
Did you know that approximately 795,000 people suffer from a stroke every year in the US, that’s over 1 stroke per minute of every year. Spotting the signs of a stroke and getting medical help as soon as possible can mean the difference between life and death. FAST: Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties, and Time to call emergency services.
Strokes are not the only medical emergencies, but they are one example of a crisis that relies on fast response and using your car to get the person suffering an emergency to the hospital quickly may be the quickest route.
Financial Hardship
A sudden financial hardship can take anyone by surprise, even the most prepared of us. While we wouldn’t recommend selling your car straight away if you were in this situation, there are ways your vehicle can still help you to free up cash in emergencies. Logbook loans, where a company buys your logbook, but you get to keep your car while you pay them back, can help get you out of a financial bind, and that logbook money can help in a sticky situation.
Weather Emergency
We’re seeing more and more weather-related emergencies happening across the world. Earthquakes and tornados, tsunamis, and floods, even bush and forest fires seem to be an ever more present factor in our lives.
Your car can be an absolute asset in these situations. Both in providing a getaway vehicle when you know something is happening, and even as somewhere relatively safe and comfortable to stay to protect you and your family from the elements in a pinch.
It’s worth planning for an emergency. We never know when they are going to happen, and, as much as we don’t want them to happen to us, as we’ve seen recently, life can change in a matter of moments.
Keeping an emergency preparedness kit in the trunk of your car to cover most situations is an excellent plan. There’s a whole list of things that should be in your emergency preparedness kit, but a few of the things we’d suggest are:
- A first aid kit – make sure your kit has band-aids, antiseptic creams, bandages, and all of the usual stuff, as well as a tourniquet and any medicines you or your family regularly take
- High visibility clothing
- Spare food
- A flashlight
- A notebook and pencil or pen
