What to carry in your car for snow, flash floods or hours-long traffic jams
What to keep in your car boot at all times in Spain, what to do if you get stuck on the road and when you need to get out of the car.
Getting stuck in your car is not as unusual as it sounds. In January 2018, thousands of drivers spent the night on the AP-6 motorway near Madrid because of snow. In 2021, storm Filomena left cars stranded across half of Spain. And in the 2024 Valencia flash floods (DANA), many people had to get out of their cars as the water rose.
In all these cases, what made the difference was what was in the boot and knowing what to do. This guide sums it up.
Before driving in bad weather
- Check road conditions. Spain’s traffic authority (DGT) reports on its website, its social media and on the phone line 011. If there is an orange or red warning for snow or rain, the best decision is almost always not to travel.
- Keep your tank more than half full in winter. In a long jam, the engine is your heating.
- Tell someone your route and the time you expect to arrive.
- Carry a charged phone and a car charger.
If you get stuck in snow
- Stay inside the car unless there is a safe place in sight. You are easier to find and it protects you from the cold.
- Run the engine only now and then (about 10 minutes every hour) to warm up and save fuel.
- Watch the exhaust pipe. If snow blocks it, carbon monoxide can get into the car. Clear it and open a window slightly while the engine is running.
- Wrap up in blankets, not just the heating. A thermal blanket and a fleece blanket per person make all the difference overnight.
- Make yourself visible: switch on the V-16 warning light and wear the reflective vest if you get out.
If the water starts rising: get out of the car
In a flood, a car is not a safe place. 30 centimetres of moving water can start to float a car and sweep it away.
- Never drive across a flooded road, even if it looks shallow.
- If the water rises around the car, unbuckle your seatbelt and get out through the window as soon as possible, before the water pressure stops the doors opening.
- If the windows will not go down, a window breaker with a seatbelt cutter lets you break a side window (never the windscreen, which is laminated).
- Head for higher ground and call 112.
What to keep in the boot at all times
It all fits in one bag you do not need to touch all year:
| For | What |
|---|---|
| Cold | A fleece blanket and thermal blankets for each person; gloves |
| Water and food | Long-life water and bars that will not expire soon |
| Light and warning | Torch, reflective vest and V-16 warning light |
| Getting out | Window breaker with seatbelt cutter |
| Power | Car charger and a charged power bank |
| Snow | Folding shovel and chains or textile snow socks in your size |
| Health | Car first aid kit |
Since 1 January 2026, the connected V-16 warning light is mandatory in Spain and replaces warning triangles: it signals your position without you having to walk onto the road.
Once a year, check the bag
Make sure the torch works, the power bank is charged and the water and bars have not expired. A good time is before winter, when you service the car or fit winter tyres.
