These products should be kept in your car to handle icy roads

Which products for icy roads do you need?

With winter weather comes the season of dangerous road conditions. Freezing rain, ice and snow can make it life-threatening just to restock your kitchen. Thankfully, many items can make it safer to travel on icy roads. Some of these items are preventative, such as ice scrapers and snow brooms. Others, such as heated blankets and signal flares, are meant to save you once an emergency has already set in.

Shop this article: AstroAI Snow Brush Two-Pack, Morton Safe-T-Salt Rock Salt and SlimK Emergency Road Flares

Preventative items

Some of the best items for preventing emergencies are:

• Ice scraper or snow broom: By scraping ice off your windshield and brushing off accumulated snow from your roof, you eliminate winter driving hazards that affect your vision.
• Snow chains: If the roads are icy, putting chains are your tires increases their traction.
• Shovel and rock salt: It's easy to get your car into a position it can't get out of by just gunning the engine. A shovel and some rock salt can get you moving again.
• Jumper cable: Cold weather conditions can sap a battery's energy. Jumper cables mean you can get yourself to a better position, if not back home, with the help of a good Samaritan.
• Car phone charger: If you get into an emergency, don't risk being unable to call for help or look up lifesaving techniques.

Emergency-situation items

Some of the best items to use once you've found yourself in an emergency are:

• Heated car blanket: If you find yourself stuck for an extended period, being able to keep warm is crucial.
• Warm clothing: Like with blankets, keep spare clothes in your car to stay warm in the cold.
• Road flare or emergency light: During heavy snowfall, your stuck vehicle can become invisible. A signal flare or emergency light can bring you salvation.
• First aid kit: If you get into a bad accident, being able to perform minor first aid can significantly increase your chances of survival.
• Emergency food and water: If you're stuck and might continue to be stuck, a few days' worth of nonperishable food and water can keep your energy up while you wait for help.

Best preventative items for icy roads

Subzero Ice Scraper

This ice scraper can be stashed in your glove box and forgotten about until you need it. It has an ice-breaking tip on the handle to smash up stubborn, thick ice so you can scrape it away.

AstroAI Snow Brush Two-Pack

This two-pack of snow brooms lets you keep one in your car and one at home. The handle is detachable and works as an ice scraper. It comes in orange, red and blue.

Security Chain Tire Chains

This set of tire chains can be put on cars with limited clearance, plus you don't have to move your car to get them on. They come in 17 sizes to fit cars, pickups and SUVs.

Overmont Collapsible Snow Shovel

This snow shovel comes in a carrying case and can collapse to save space in your car. It also comes with an ice scraper. It comes in five colors.

Morton Safe-T-Salt Rock Salt

This 25-pound bag of rock salt can help melt snow and ice to free your spinning tires in temperatures as low as 5 degrees. The bag also has a handle to help you move it.

Harris Kind Melt Magnesium Chloride

Magnesium chloride is an alternative to rock salt that's better for the environment, but more expensive. This 15-pound bucket includes a scoop to help you spread it around.

Energizer Jumper Cables

These cables come in a mix of seven sizes and gauges, the smallest being 12 feet and 10 gauge and the largest being 25 feet in one or two gauge.

Braveridge Car Charger

This car charger slips into your car's power port and turns it into two USB ports in either USB-A, USB-C or one of each. It also comes with two iPhone Lightning charging cables.

Cluvox Car Charger

This charger works in the same way, only it offers two USB-A ports and comes with a USB-A to USB-C charging cable. It comes in black or rose gold.

Best emergency-situation items for icy roads

Car Cozy 2 Heated Travel Blanket

This heated blanket can run off your car's power port or a power bank in addition to a standard power outlet, increasing the time you can stay warm.

Neff Beanie Hat

The head is one of the primary areas where heat escapes the body. It's crucial to keep your head covered in something warm. This beanie is simple and fits anyone.

Busy Socks Thermal Socks

The other primary area where heat escapes the body are your feet and ankles. These socks are extra-thick and warm to counteract that. They come in two sizes and five colors.

SlimK Emergency Road Flares

This LED flare kit includes two flares that last up to 36 hours with fresh AAA batteries, two stands to place them upright on the road or the top of your car, and a case to keep them in.

Pysanr First Aid Kit

This first aid kit includes 150 pieces, such as bandages, iodine prep pads, alcohol pads, gauze, tweezers, safety pins, cotton swabs, scissors and a first aid booklet.

Righteous Felon Beef Jerky Variety Pack

Beef jerky is an excellent emergency nonperishable food as it's nutritious, and the need to chew heavily gives you something to do while you wait for help. This pack includes 12 flavors.

Pure Life Purified Water

This pack includes five cases, each containing 40 16.9-fluid-ounce bottles. Keep one in your car and the rest at home in case you're snowed in with a loss to your water supply.

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Jordan C. Woika writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.