It’s always wise for drivers to have tools in their cars for emergencies, including jumper cables. Below, we’ll explain why you should always have jumper cables in your car and why they’re important to you and your vehicle’s safety.
What Are Jumper Cables?
Before we get into how they’re critical items for every driver, what are jumper cables? If you’ve ever seen someone jump-start a vehicle before, you’ve likely seen them use jumper cables. They’ve practically been the preferred method for a jump-start since cars came into existence.
Jumper cables are a set of extra-long cables with insulated wires and alligator clips on each end with insulated handles. To jump-start a car, you connect the ends of a cable to a vehicle’s dead battery and a healthy car’s live battery. The healthy battery provides extra juice to the dead one so that it can start and run again.
Why Are Jumper Cables Important?
Jumper cables are essentials everyone should have in their car for emergencies because a dead battery is one of the most common problems with cars. Whether the driver leaves their headlights or an interior light on when the engine is off, the unit is old, or extreme heat or cold drains the battery, many reasons a car’s battery can die exist.
When a car battery goes dead, the driver can do nothing to move the vehicle and get it running again except jump-start it. Always having jumper cables in the car means you’ll be ready if your battery dies, preventing you from getting stranded for hours. Plus, always having cables means you can help other drivers that need a jump-start.
Are Jumper Cables or Booster Packs Better?
While jumper cables have been around forever, a booster pack is another option for drivers with battery problems. A booster pack is like a mobile battery charger containing cables connected to a battery.
Instead of hooking up the cables to two cars, a booster pack allows drivers to charge their vehicle’s battery with just the pack. While booster packs can be convenient, they’re also much more expensive. You must charge them after every use or every couple of months when they’re not in use. The last thing a driver wants is a dead battery and a dead booster pack, so jumper cables are still the safest option.
Conclusion
Now that you know why you should have jumper cables in your car, what are you waiting for? Ensure you’re ready for any car emergency with reliable jumper cables in your vehicle.
