If you’ve ever broken down, you know it can be a little scary and stressful. It’s worse when little children are in the car. Most people are unprepared for an auto breakdown, and even more unprepared when children are involved. During the hot summer or the cold winter months, children are very sensitive to the temperatures. Babies can quickly dehydrate or require additional care. Citywide Towing Service would like to share how to be better prepared for an auto breakdown when having children with you and how to get reliable help.

Summer Emergency Roadside Car Kit for Kids

There are many aspects of caring for a child or children during an auto breakdown. One of the first aspects to address is the temperature. During the summer and in the state of Texas, we have really hot and humid temperatures which can overheat young children to the point it can be deadly. Children will begin to overheat in a vehicle within 20 minutes of exposure to temperatures over 85 degrees. There have been an estimated 750 deaths of children due to overheating in a vehicle. It is important to help keep children cool during an auto breakdown. If possible, you should always leave the vehicle and seek shelter inside a building near where the vehicle is broken down. However, some breakdowns can take place in the worst of places. One way to be prepared is by keeping water in the car and a cloth, or better yet, cooling towels. You can dampen the cloth or towels and place it on the back of the child’s neck or on their head. Cars can heat up inside very quickly, so if it is safe, you can exit the car. However, you will want to keep the sun off the children. You can use a blanket as a canopy or use the windshield visor to help reflect away the heat. For children and babies, keep bottled water in the car as well as additional formula to prevent dehydration.

Winter Car Emergency Safety Kit

For winter you will need to consider ways to keep the children warm and in some cases, dry. If the vehicle is broken down in a safe place, stay inside the vehicle to stay warmer. It is recommended to keep blankets in the vehicle to help keep the children warm. For babies and young children, you can use emergency hand warmers that you can wrap in a cloth and put around the sides of the baby. Check the hand warmers often and make sure they are not hurting the child. Hand warmers can be kept in the vehicle as part of an emergency kit.

Car First Aid Kit Requirements

For children with additional needs, such as those with medical problems, always keep spare medication on you or in the vehicle such as inhalers and allergy treatments. Young babies and children may need diaper changes. For those with babies in diapers, keep some diapers and wet wipes in the vehicle for emergency diaper changes. Additionally, keep a basic medical kit, along with the bottled water as well as have snacks for your children to eat. Keep a spare phone charger in the vehicle so you can power up your phone to call for help.

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If you are broken down on the side of the road and need help fast, call Citywide Towing Service. We provide quick and reliable services. We can tow or provide roadside assistance services to help you. If children are with you during the time of the breakdown, be sure to tell the operator so the service technician is properly prepared. For towing or roadside assistance services, contact Citywide Towing Service today.