Winter weather safety items to keep in your car

Winter safety gear for your car

You should keep a few basic items in your car that can help keep you safe in an emergency during the winter.

Bad winter weather can make the roads and highways in the New York area quite dangerous, as a multi-vehicle crash on the Hutchinson River Parkway this week demonstrated.

"We're seeing the severity of storms increase and so your level of preparedness has to increase as well," AAA Northeast Robert Sinclair Jr. said.

To that end, AAA Northeast is reminding drivers of things to keep inside their vehicles in case they find themselves stuck on roadways during winter weather emergencies. You should keep a flashlight, spare batteries, ice melt or sand, and a hammer of some sort in your car. Many stores sell a small hammer designed to break glass in case you're stuck and need to escape through your car window.

You should also carry something to keep you warm, such as a blanket and hand warmers, and perhaps a spare can of gas in your trunk.

"Because if you get stuck you're going to be relying on your idling engine to make heat," Sinclair said.

Get breaking news alerts in the free FOX5NY News app | Sign up for FOX 5 email newsletters

Icy roads trigger crashes

Authorities in New York and New Jersey reported several serious vehicle crashes, some fatal, on Wednesday morning. Freezing rain overnight created dangerous conditions.