Where is the car first aid kit located?
5 Answers
Car first aid kits are typically located in the trunk. The kit includes: triangular bandage, elastic head cover, emergency blanket, buckle-type tourniquet, medical gloves, hemostatic pad, instant cold pack, adhesive bandages, iodine swabs, isolation masks, motion sickness medication, gauze, as well as a warning triangle and tire removal tools. A car first aid kit is a package of medical emergency equipment and medications equipped in vehicles, which can be used for self-rescue in the event of traffic accidents causing injuries, effectively reducing traffic fatalities. Important precautions to take after a car accident include: 1. Stay calm and avoid panic; 2. Perform self-rescue immediately and call emergency services; 3. Cut off the vehicle's power supply; 4. Protect the accident scene.
To be honest, this issue is absolutely critical since the first aid kit can be life-saving when actually needed. The red first aid kit in my car is currently secured with Velcro under the driver's seat, easily within reach. However, when I bought a used car before, the previous owner had stashed it in a hidden compartment next to the spare tire in the trunk - it took me half an hour to find it. Different brands place them in all sorts of locations: common spots include the glove compartment, the storage layer under the trunk floor mat, or even pull-out storage compartments under the rear seats in some SUVs. I strongly recommend familiarizing yourself with its location when you get in the car - in critical moments, even saving 30 seconds can mean golden time.
I only realized the importance of knowing the first aid kit's location after suffering during a self-driving trip. For sedans, it's mostly hidden in the trunk - either under the floorboard or in a small mesh pocket on the side wall. SUV models often have more thoughtful designs, like mine with a flip-top compartment marked with a red cross on the left side of the trunk. Some off-road vehicles, concerned about bumpy roads, simply fix it to the metal frame behind the co-driver's seat. But the worst is encountering base models without even a first aid kit - I bought an additional plastic box-style one and secured it to the spare tire mount with zip ties. Before every long trip, I check if the iodine swabs have expired and whether the location is blocked by luggage.
Checking the vehicle manual is the most reliable, but many people don't read it. Common locations include the left groove in the trunk, the foam box right above the spare tire, and the hidden compartment behind the co-driver's seat adjustment buttons. Once, a friend had an accident and found his first aid kit in a magnetic iron box under the driver's seat. Japanese cars prefer to stash it in the spare tire tool bag's interlayer, while German cars often hide it in the bottom layer of the center console armrest box. A reminder to everyone: some cars come with a first aid kit from the factory, but it might have been withheld by the dealership! If you're preparing your own, choose one with reflective strips for quick location at night.
From my experience with car modifications, the original placement of some items can be quite impractical. When modifying my race car, I directly attached the first aid kit to the intersection point of the roll cage. For regular car owners, you can try these options: stick it under the rear seat mat if there's a Velcro spot; sedan owners can utilize the hollow space in the spare tire area; station wagon roof rack mesh pockets are also a good choice. The most extreme placement I've seen was a cylindrical emergency kit stuffed into the spare tire bolt hole. Remember to check it monthly, avoid placing band-aids in high temperatures as they can melt, and always store it in a dry, shaded compartment.
