Car first aid kit – what should it contain and how to store it?

Proven content

The car first aid kit is not legally compulsory for a private passenger car. However, there is a legal obligation to provide assistance to victims of road accidents, which is difficult without a first aid kit. It is worth remembering that anything can happen on the road and a properly equipped first aid kit can help us in many unexpected situations. So it’s worth having a well-equipped car first aid kit in the car.

Car first aid kit – what should it contain?

You can buy a ready-made car first aid kit on the Internet, in a supermarket or at a gas station, but most often its equipment is incomplete or of poor quality. To be sure that you have a well-equipped first aid kit in your car, it is worth completing it personally from proven, carefully selected and thought-out elements.

Your first aid kit doesn’t have to be overwhelmingly large, but it does need to have all the necessary components to create an emergency kit. Standard first aid kits usually contain the following items:

1. latex gloves,
2. individual dressing G (sterile) 10 × 12 cm and M (sterile) 8 cmx10 cm, which will enable wound care,
3. dressing plasters of various sizes used to dress small wounds and cuts (x2 a fingertip dressing, x2 a finger dressing 12 × 2 cm, x4 a plaster with a dressing 10 × 6 cm, x4 a plaster with a dressing 2,5 × 7,2 cm),
4. plasters without dressing used to attach smaller gauze dressings (x1 tapes 5 × 2,5 cm),
5. bandages – bandages of various sizes, including bandages for ankles, for fingertips, as well as small and large bandages. Flexible bandages are also necessary to reduce the swelling of an injury or to keep cold compresses in place.
6. sterile gauze compresses (10 × 10 cm) for direct treatment of small and large wounds and stopping hemorrhages,
7. antiseptics – help clean wounds and cuts and prevent potential infections,
8. ointment with an antibiotic,
9. a sling (circular sling) – used to stabilize the limbs in the event of fractures, sprains and to make a head dressing,
10. remedy against bites,
11. little girl
12. scissors,
13. hygienic mask,
14. mask for artificial respiration,
15. painkillers,
16. burn medications or gel.

Some sources say that there should be no medications in the first aid kit. However, if you go on a road trip that will last several days, you can easily get the above-mentioned medications (painkillers, antihistamines, medications for burns).

However, remember to remove any medicines from your car’s first aid kit that may spill or be adversely affected by the temperature outside when you return home.

A well-equipped car first aid kit should contain first aid instructions in paper form. During an accident or difficult weather conditions, we may not be able to use, for example, a telephone with Internet access.

The car’s first aid kit should contain an emergency blanket to protect the victim from getting cold, for example after an accident or when it is necessary to leave the car suddenly in low temperatures.

See also: Do you suffer from glaucoma, asthma, hypertension? Watch out for pain medications

Car first aid kit – what should we remember?

Frequently check the expiry date of all medications in the car’s first aid kit. Never use an expired product. Check the contents of the car’s first aid kit at least once every three months. Moreover:

1. always have a list of emergency numbers in the first aid kit,
2. make appropriate compartments in your car first aid kit. Keep medications and bandages separate for easy access.
3. if there are tablets in the car’s first aid kit, never take them out of the packaging,
4. for antibiotic ointments, Tribiotic is a good choice because it does not cause stinging – important for children.

Also learn how to conduct CPR and basic first aid. CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) combines mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and cardiac compressions to deliver oxygen and artificial circulation to an injured, unconscious and unresponsive person until medical attention arrives (e.g., in a car accident).

CPR can be a life-saving first aid and increases the chances of survival if started soon after the heart has stopped beating. If CPR is not performed, a person’s brain dies from lack of oxygen only takes three to four minutes.

When you perform CPR, you circulate blood that can deliver oxygen to your body, and your brain and other organs stay alive while you wait for an ambulance. There is usually enough oxygen in the blood to keep the brain and other organs alive for a few minutes, but it doesn’t circulate unless someone is doing CPR. CPR does not guarantee that a person will survive, but it gives them a chance when they would not otherwise.

Car first aid kit – where to store it?

The car first aid kit should be stored in the car’s cabin, for example in a glove compartment or under the seat. The first aid kit in the trunk may not be available in the event of an accident or the need to use its contents quickly.

In addition to the car’s first aid kit, the car should be equipped with reflective vests that allow other drivers to see the road traffic accident participants.

See also:

1. Emergency first aid. Can you do it? [QUIZ]
2. How to provide first aid so as not to catch the coronavirus?
3. These diseases make it impossible to get a driver’s license