Carbon Monoxide Risk While Waiting in a Car in Texas — Tailpipe Warning

Modern vehicles with sophisticated electronics are more sensitive to jump-start procedure errors than older cars. Always connect in the correct sequence: positive (red) to dead battery positive, positive to good battery positive, negative (black) to good battery negative, and finally negative to an unpainted metal ground on the dead car — not the negative battery terminal. This sequence minimizes the electrical spike when the circuit is completed.

Never jump-start a vehicle with a swollen, cracked, or leaking battery — these are signs of internal failure that can cause the battery to explode when current flows through it. And never allow the jumper cable clamps to touch each other once connected to either battery. The spark produced can ignite hydrogen gas that batteries emit during charging, with serious consequences.

Many roadside situations are genuinely DIY-manageable for prepared drivers: flat tires with a functional spare, dead batteries with a jump pack, minor lockouts when a spare key is accessible. These situations don't require a tow and can be resolved faster by a prepared driver than by waiting for roadside assistance in many cases.

But there are clear lines. If the vehicle is in an unsafe location, the problem involves the drivetrain, the vehicle is emitting smoke or fluid, or you're not confident in the repair — call a professional. A half-completed DIY tire change in the dark on I-35 is far more dangerous than waiting 20 minutes for a roadside technician who has done this a thousand times with proper lighting and equipment.

A well-stocked emergency kit in your trunk can be the difference between a minor inconvenience and a dangerous situation. At a minimum, every vehicle in Texas should carry: LED road flares or reflective triangles, a jumper cable set or lithium jump starter, a tire plug kit and portable air compressor, a basic first aid kit, water (one gallon minimum), and a fully charged portable phone charger.

The items most commonly missing from driver emergency kits are reflective triangles and a portable phone charger. Reflective triangles are inexpensive and dramatically reduce the risk of a secondary collision at your breakdown scene. A charged phone charger ensures that a dead phone battery doesn't prevent you from calling for help — something that happens more often than you'd expect.