first aid kits

Rory123

I've got serious slack from everyone that has noticed that I spent €16 on a first aid kit and installed it behind the passenger seat in my astra van. Have any of you come across this typical Irish Boneheadism or am I just a bit of a gimp?

Alun

Ignore them .. they're boneheads, as you say. Most Irish drivers don't even have anything as essential (in my mind) as a warning triangle, let alone a first-aid kit or (just as important) the knowledge to use one.

parsi

Both our cars have first aid kits (always handy with kids), extinguishers (small so really only a feelgood thing), triangles (used once when we ran out of petrol though most folk seemed to think it was a decoration in the road) and that great rarity in Ireland - spare bulbs.

crosstownk

Yep - ignore them. Both our cars have both first aid kits and fire extinguishers (the house has both too and a fire blanket). These items cost relatively little and can 'save the day' if disaster strikes.

So yeah - ignore the boneheads.

promethius

Ignore them you're right to have one, i have a nice compact one with the essentials in my boot. Don't have a warning triangle however so should get one of those too.

archtech

Its amazing how many new cars are sold here without a first aid kit or then are "included" as an extra.

I don't think its the law (or if it is, it one of the typical Irish laws that nobody bothers about), to have spare bulbs, warning triangle or first aid kit in a car unlike France.

ninty9er

Picked up my new car yesterday at round 11. I left the torch and triangle in the old one. might come in handy for the new owner sometime.

So yesterday I bought a spare set of bulbs, a new warning triangle, proper mats, a kit with torch, tow rope and hi-vis vest. I'll get around to a first aid kit in the next few weeks, but I'll most likely make up my own as they're ridiculously overpriced for what you get in pahrmacies and car accessory shops. next priority before that is locking wheel nuts!!

PS Tesco are doing warning triangles on special offer of €4.99 at the moment....had mine bought before I saw it though and wasn't worth the hassle to go back to halfords.

milltown

Ridiculous that it's not a legal requirement to have a fist aid kit here. To get a driving licence in Germany you have to complete a first aid course!

HJL

A torch is my main thing to carry i think and a lot of people dont have one, what do they think is going to happen if they get a puncture in the dark on a dark road?!
Proper wheel brace is a must too, ones supplied with cars are rubbish, considering the tyre places always put the nuts on way to tight.
And i carry an emergency tyre inflator can, got foam in it and enough air to inflate. Incase the spare was flat. Or got two punctures at once-it happens!

Dont have a first aid kit myself, dont imagine if one were to come apon a car crash a band aid would be of much use, but for people with kids id say they get good use out of it. Wasp sting spray be handy to put into the box as well, for the summer months.

CJhaughey

Anyone who laughs at someone carrying a first-aid kit deserves to lose a finger or two, thats just pure ignorance talking, obviously they have never seen any serious accidents.
I have seen a good bit of blood spilt in my time and would not think of travelling without a kit.
It doesn't have to be motoring related either, my mate was working on his house back when it was a shell and caught a 24v drill on the chin, nothing in the house but I had a kit in my motor and was able to repair the gash.
A Good first aid kit is a handy thing to have, I have one with heavy duty shears in, as well as a space blanket and some of those self adhesive butterfly sutures.
I would consider getting some quik-clot as well and perhaps a tube of superglue.
I have stiched up my own head with those butterfly sutures and they work very well.

wet-paint

Got one in a dry bag in the boot, with woolly cap, space blanket, and mars bar beside it.

Random

wet-paint wrote: »

Got one in a dry bag in the boot, with woolly cap, space blanket, and mars bar beside it.

Mars Bar ?

Fey!

I have one of the manufacturer ones in my car, which I bought off ebay. It's coming close to the time of emptying it and restocking, though. I also have the manufacturer triangle (only used once when assisting another motorist), torches (got a brilliant EverReady headstrap one the other day in B&Q for €12.95; has 2 white LEDs that can be adjusted - VERY bright and leaves the hands empty), a manufacturer torch in the glovebox (would get more light from a 1/8 moon!), toolkit, extinuisher, vest, towrope, jumpleads. Never thought of a space blanket.

All packed neatly into the centre of the spare wheel.

Rory123

random wrote: »

Mars Bar ?

Lots of uses... Diabetics. people in shock. when you over exercise and feel faint. people who have just fainted. Really anything to do with recovery and low blood sugar levels. Same for lucozade sweets. most competing cyclists will have a mars bar in the bag under their saddle.

I have the torch! I don't know how to (and wouldn't have the stomach to) perform really-gorey first aid and I doubt I could do an emergency amputation on the roadside with my little kit, but I am a cabinet maker (AKA poncy carpenter:D) so I cut myself on pretty much a daily basis and wherever I am, my van is usually close by.

Lidl or Aldi do decent automotive safety stuff once or twice a year so keep an eye out.

.... thanks for the reassurance anyway folks!

wet-paint

Aye, as said, it's for those with low blood sugar. It's a carry over from my first aid kit for running rivers, I'm a kayaker. If off on a large trip I'd have a spare thermal top, kissu, mobile, sam splint, bivvi bag too, but there's nothing really driving specific I bring in the car. I've a leatherman sitting in the car usually, comes in handy for cutting cable ties holding hubcaps on, head torch and a sleeping bag, but that's there as I frequently sleep off the drink in the boot!

But yeah, it's almost useless all the cr@p without the knowledge to use it.

Random

Suppose it makes sense to have a Mars bar then!

L1011

Don't have a first aid kit or extinguisher, might head and buy some though... Have tow rope, jump leads, triangle, hi vis in the boot though.

parsi

wet-paint wrote: »

Got one in a dry bag in the boot, with woolly cap, space blanket, and mars bar beside it.

A space blanket is obligatory in German 1st aid kits and teh Lidl/Aldi ones usually have them.

Random

Space Blanket ?

Alun

random wrote: »

Space Blanket ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_blanket

Alun

parsi wrote: »

A space blanket is obligatory in German 1st aid kits and teh Lidl/Aldi ones usually have them.

The complete contents are in fact governed by a DIN standard, DIN 13164B.

See here http://wissen4free.org/Material/Datenbank/allgemeinbildung/Auto-Verbandk%E4sten%20nach%20DIN%2013164B.pdf

(In German only) I assume a Rettungsdecke is a space blanket.

I also understand that you can even be fined for having out-of-date stuff in there, such as dressings, antiseptic wipes etc.