Five Must-Haves for Your Glove Box

While the glove box is one of the smallest spaces in your vehicle, it can also be a crucial one. It is the perfect place to stash important items, and even better, it is easy to access when you are sitting in the driver’s seat. Originally meant to store gloves (hence the name), it’s now a popular place to stash things to get them out of sight. However, making it an important storage place is a good driving habit and one that we here at Westbury Toyota wholeheartedly support, and we have put together a quick list of everything you should include in your glove box.

A Good Flashlight

A reliable, durable flashlight is a must have because in the event of you breaking down or having something unfortunate happen at night. You can use the flashlight to check your vehicle and your surroundings for potential problems. It is also convenient to have for other uses, such as when you have dropped a small item between the seats or in a hard to reach place.

Vehicle Registration and Insurance Information

Being as it is the law to have these on hand should you get stopped by an officer of the law, it only makes sense to store both of these in an easy-to-reach spot, and there is no better spot than the glove box. Should you get pulled over, all you need to do is reach across to the glove box and pull the registration and insurance out.

The Owner’s Manual

Chances are good that at some point during your vehicle ownership, you will need to consult the owner’s manual. You may have to do so in times of emergency (e.g. your car will not start or it breaks down), so having it nearby in an easily accessible location is a good idea.

An Emergency Escape Tool

Emergency escape tools are something every driver should have on hand. They can be used to cut through a seat belt that is trapping you in the car and can also be used to break a window. In dire situations, they might be the only way you are able to escape your car. They are fairly compact and can fit into your glove box easily, so they are definitely a must-have.

A First Aid Kit

There are small first aid kits that will fit quite nicely into the glove box, so that should be the fifth must-have. Why you need one of these is obvious – in case of emergency or injury, you can treat yourself or your passengers.

Other Convenient Items for the Glove Box

In case you have extra room, there are some other convenient items you should consider adding to the glove box:

• Napkins, wet wipes, tissues – For those instances when somebody makes a mess on themselves or on the car’s interior, these will come in handy for quick clean-up.
• Hand sanitizer – Hand sanitizer is great to have for when you need to clean your hands after handling dirty gas pumps or picking something up off the floor mat.
• A phone charger – It is never a great idea to let your phone battery die completely, particularly when you are out driving away from home. Throw a phone charger in your glove box so that you can make sure your phone is always ready to use.
• Healthy snacks – Driving while hungry can make you (and your passengers) irritable, so make sure to keep some snacks handy in the glove box.

Keep Your Glove Box Stocked with the Important Stuff

You will never know what you need until you really need it, but you can always do your best to stay as prepared as you can. Stocking your glove box with the five must-have items will go a long way toward ensuring you are as prepared for the unforeseen as you can be.