5 useful things to keep in your car

Despite your disability, you may still be able to drive a car. If your disability might affect your driving ability, then you’ll need to disclose this information to the DVLA. You might also be a regular passenger in a friend or family member’s car.

You wouldn’t leave the house without those ‘essentials’ that you always have packed. So, what 5 things can you put in your car that you’ll definitely want to keep there?

Emergency supplies
It’s always wise to keep a small supply of drinks and snacks in your car. Most people remember to do this during particularly cold weather, when they might be stranded at the roadside, but the truth is that cars can break down anywhere at any time. In fact, breaking down in hot weather might be even more difficult than being stuck away from home when it’s cold!

Emergency supplies are useful if a journey is taking longer than you expected, or if something goes wrong and you’re left waiting for help. Keep them with you at all times.

Blue Badge timer disc
If you’re a Blue Badge holder, then your parking clock/timer disc is a valuable addition to your vehicle. Keep this in your car so that it’s always on hand.
You can buy wallets with built-in parking discs, which can be particularly useful to have around. You can slot your blue badge into the other half of the wallet, so that everything is easily visible and will be well protected.

Swivel cushion
A swivel cushion rotates on the spot, making it easier to get into your car. Put it onto your seat and you can sit down facing out of your vehicle’s door, then spin into position comfortably. You don’t need to lower yourself into the seat at a sideways angle, nor will you struggle with twisting your body and potentially pulling a muscle.
Swivel seats are useful for a wide range of people, but can be particularly helpful to wheelchair users that need to transfer from their wheelchair to the car.

HandyBar
The HandyBar car support offers help and peace of mind to people with limited mobility.
You’ll probably use the Handy Bar only for getting in and out of your vehicle. This sturdy non-slip handle fixes to a certain point on your door frame, so that you can use it as a grab rail to pull yourself out of the car.
If you were in an accident, you could also use the tool to cut yourself free of your seatbelt. The HandyBar can additionally be used to smash a window, if needed. It’s a helpful tool that you can make use of day-to-day, with thoughtful additional features that you can rely upon in an emergency.

Massage seat cover
If your car seat isn’t the most comfortable, you can add a massage seat cover that will gently move and warm your back to soothe any aches and pains. If you find driving a bit difficult due to the position that you need to sit in, then a massaging seat cover can really help. Before installing anything extra, check that your seat is set up correctly. You might find that you can ease any pain that you’re experiencing just by raising or lowering the seat, tilting it back a bit or reducing the angle that it’s positioned at.

Your car is a big part of your independence. If you like to travel, or need to drive to work, then it could be almost as important as your home. Make sure that you keep it equipped with anything that you’d find useful – it doesn’t need to be a bare, minimalist environment!