What to carry
What you must carry in your car in the UK
The law in the UK does not make you carry anything. Drivers coming from countries that do are often surprised. Every item links to the official source it was checked against, with the date.
Required by law
What you must carry in the car
Nothing — no equipment is legally required
Nothing is legally required. Drivers arriving from most of continental Europe expect a triangle and a vest to be compulsory here; they are not.
Checked 20 Aug 2026 · official source
Worth carrying anyway
What you should carry, but do not have to
- Warning triangle
- First aid kit
- Fire extinguisher
- High-visibility vest
Advised, not required. One motorway exception is worth knowing: do not set a warning triangle out on a motorway hard shoulder — get behind the barrier instead.
Checked 20 Aug 2026 · official source
Winter equipment
Tyres and chains are equipment too, and the rules usually apply only between set dates or on signed roads.