What Should Be in Your Vehicle Emergency Kit? A Complete Ontario Driver's Checklist

A dead battery at minus 20. A flat tire on a rural stretch of Highway 115 with no cell signal. A sudden whiteout on the 401 that forces you onto the shoulder for an hour. When a breakdown happens in Ontario, the supplies you carry in your trunk can mean the difference between a minor inconvenience and a genuinely dangerous situation.

CAA responds to thousands of roadside calls every winter day across Canada, with dead batteries and towing accounting for roughly three-quarters of all service requests. Yet most drivers have little more than a snow brush rattling around in the back seat. A properly stocked vehicle emergency kit takes about 20 minutes to assemble, costs under $100, and could save your life.

Here is a complete checklist of what every Ontario driver should carry, organized by category, along with practical advice on what to do if you actually find yourself stranded.

Year-Round Essentials

These items belong in your vehicle regardless of season. They address the most common roadside situations: dead batteries, flat tires, minor breakdowns, and the need to call for help.

Power and communication:

• Portable phone charger (battery pack), fully charged
• USB charging cable compatible with your phone
• List of emergency contacts written on paper (your phone may be dead)
• CAA membership card or roadside assistance policy number

Visibility and signalling:

• Flashlight, preferably a crank-powered model that does not rely on batteries
• Reflective warning triangles or LED road flares
• Brightly coloured cloth or flag to tie to your antenna

Basic tools and repair:

• Jumper cables or a portable jump-start battery pack
• Tire pressure gauge
• Basic tool kit (screwdriver, pliers, adjustable wrench, zip ties, duct tape)
• Tow rope or tow strap rated for your vehicle's weight

Safety and first aid:

• First aid kit with seatbelt cutter and window breaker
• Fire extinguisher (compact, automotive-rated)
• Whistle for attracting attention if you are outside the vehicle
• Work gloves

Fluids:

• Windshield washer fluid (winter-rated, good to minus 40)
• Small container of engine coolant/antifreeze

Winter Survival Items (October through April)

Ontario winters are serious. Temperatures in Durham Region regularly drop below minus 15, and wind chill can push the "feels like" temperature far lower. If you are stranded and waiting for help, hypothermia can set in within minutes once your engine stops running. These items keep you warm, fed, and visible until rescue arrives.

Warmth:

• Wool or fleece blanket (wool retains heat even when damp)
• Extra winter clothing: heavyweight socks, insulated gloves, a toque, and a warm jacket
• Extra pair of winter boots that you can change into
• Emergency survival candle in a deep metal tin, with waterproof matches or a lighter (a single candle can raise the temperature inside a closed vehicle by several degrees)

Traction and clearing:

• Compact folding shovel
• Bag of sand, kitty litter (non-clumping), or traction mats
• Ice scraper and snow brush

Food and water:

• Bottled water in plastic containers that will not crack when frozen (replace every six months)
• Non-perishable high-energy food: granola bars, energy bars, trail mix, or dried fruit
• Hard candy for quick energy

What to Do If You Get Stranded

Having the right supplies only matters if you know what to do with them. If your vehicle breaks down or you get stuck during a winter storm, follow these steps:

1. Stay with your vehicle. Your car is a shelter. It is visible to rescuers, it blocks wind, and it insulates you far better than standing on the roadside. The OPP, Transport Canada, and CAA all give the same advice: do not leave your vehicle to walk for help unless you can clearly see a building nearby.

2. Make yourself visible. Turn on your hazard lights. If you have reflective triangles or road flares, set them behind your vehicle at a safe distance. Tie a brightly coloured cloth to your antenna or side mirror. At night, use your dome light sparingly to conserve battery.

3. Call for help. Dial 911 for emergencies or OPP (677) on your cell phone to reach the nearest Ontario Provincial Police communications centre. If you have CAA membership, call 1-800-222-HELP. Give your location as precisely as possible, including the highway number, direction of travel, and the nearest exit or landmark.

4. Guard against carbon monoxide. This is critical. If you run your engine for warmth, keep a window cracked open at least an inch and make sure snow is completely cleared away from your exhaust pipe. Research published in the National Institutes of Health found that lethal levels of carbon monoxide can build up inside a vehicle with a snow-blocked exhaust pipe in as little as two and a half minutes with the windows closed. People die from this every winter. Check your tailpipe regularly, especially during heavy snowfall.

5. Run your engine in intervals. Start your engine for about 10 minutes each hour to warm the cabin, then shut it off to conserve fuel. Use your survival candle between engine runs for supplemental warmth.

6. Keep moving. Do light stretches and move your arms and legs periodically to maintain circulation. Avoid staying in one position for too long, which accelerates heat loss.

Seasonal Kit Maintenance

Your emergency kit is not a "set it and forget it" item. Transport Canada recommends checking your kit at least twice per year:

• October: Switch to winter mode. Add blankets, extra clothing, sand or kitty litter, and the survival candle. Swap in winter-rated washer fluid. Test your flashlight batteries. Check that your phone charger works with your current phone.
• April: Remove bulky winter items to save trunk space and fuel. Replace any food or water that has been in the car all winter. Restock first aid supplies if anything was used. Confirm your flares or reflective triangles are in good condition.

Replace bottled water every six months regardless of season. Frozen and thawed plastic bottles develop cracks that leak when they warm up.

How Your Auto Insurance Can Help

No emergency kit replaces proper insurance coverage, but the right endorsements can reduce the financial sting of a breakdown.

Roadside assistance endorsements. The traditional Ontario auto policy add-on is OPCF 35 (Ontario Policy Change Form 35), which reimburses towing costs up to $50 per event, twice per year, for a premium of roughly $5 to $15 annually. It is limited: it does not cover the cost of parts, batteries, or tire changes, and the $50 cap rarely covers a full tow in today's market. Many Ontario insurers have replaced OPCF 35 with enhanced roadside assistance packages that offer broader coverage, including battery boosts, lockout service, and fuel delivery.

CAA membership. A CAA South Central Ontario membership provides four tows per year (up to 10 km on Basic, 200 km on Plus, and 320 km on Premier), plus battery service, flat tire changes, fuel delivery, and lockout assistance. Members also qualify for discounts on auto insurance with several carriers.

Comprehensive coverage. If your vehicle is damaged while stranded (by another vehicle, falling debris, or weather), your comprehensive or collision coverage may apply. Review your policy to understand your deductible and what scenarios are covered.

The best approach is to talk to your broker about which combination of coverage makes sense for your situation. A driver who commutes on Highway 401 every day has different needs than someone whose vehicle mostly sits in the driveway.

Build Your Kit This Weekend

You do not need to buy a pre-packaged emergency kit from a big-box store (though those can be a reasonable starting point). Most of the items on this list are already in your house, garage, or local dollar store. The key is actually putting them in a bag and leaving them in your trunk.

A few final tips:

• Store everything in a single durable bag or plastic bin so it does not scatter around your trunk. A hockey bag works well.
• Keep your gas tank at least half full during winter. More fuel means more engine run time if you are stranded, and it reduces condensation in the fuel lines.
• Tell someone your route if you are driving in remote or rural areas during bad weather. If you do not arrive, someone will know where to start looking.
• Check your winter tires. Ontario does not legally require winter tires, but most auto insurers offer a discount of two to five percent when you install four matching winter tires between November and April. More importantly, winter tires dramatically improve traction, braking, and control at temperatures below 7 degrees Celsius.

An emergency kit is one of those things you hope you never need. But if you do need it, on a dark highway shoulder in January with the wind howling and your engine refusing to turn over, you will be very glad you spent 20 minutes putting one together.

Have questions about your auto insurance coverage or roadside assistance options? Contact Roughley Insurance Brokers or request a quote. We have been helping Ontario drivers since 1945.