We all spend a lot of time in our cars, maybe not as much as we used to, but still we spend enough time that we really need to make sure we are prepared for whatever may come our way or even someone else's way. I basically have a car 72 hr. kit in my vehicle and it gets used quite often, just not ever for me. The things I use in it most often are the gloves, shovel, axe and portable jump starter. It's amazing how many people get stuck in the winter or have dead batteries. I think the most embarrassing moment was when I was helping a man out with a dead battery and I went to get my big portable jump starter (similar to this one, before I had my handy little one) and it's battery was too dead to jump start his truck. So lesson learned. Just because you have it, it does no good if you don't maintain it and make sure it is good to go when you need it. 
You can find several pre-assembled car kits out there that will work in a pinch and are a great starting point, but I prefer to put my own together so that I know for sure I have the things I will need. You can find checklists that can get you started here, here, here and here, but ultimately it is up to you because you know best what you will need, what can fit in your vehicle, and what is most reasonable for your family as a whole. Most people have more than one car so make sure you have a kit specific for each car and driver and any passengers they may have on board at any time. Another thing to consider is the weather. It's a lot of things to keep in your car at once so things that you will only need seasonally, keep them in the garage nearby and make sure to put them in (ice scrapers, umbrella, warmer gloves and clothes) when the weather starts to change and take them out when they won't be needed. The last thing that I would suggest is make sure you have a "cleaning" kit of some sort in your car. You never know what might spill or happen in your car especially on long road trips. It's never fun to take long rides in a stinky car. Here is a checklist. It also includes some other ideas for emergency car kits.
I have normal and kind of unusual things in my car kit, which is all contained in a backpack. It is always a work in progress because I use things and then have to replace them or I realize, "Hey I should really put that in there". Here is my list:
20 ft. nylon rope
good work gloves
axe
fold-able shovel with saw edge
a roll of duct tape
small portable jump charger/phone charger/flashlight/jumper cables/air compressor(all in one case)
You can find several pre-assembled car kits out there that will work in a pinch and are a great starting point, but I prefer to put my own together so that I know for sure I have the things I will need. You can find checklists that can get you started here, here, here and here, but ultimately it is up to you because you know best what you will need, what can fit in your vehicle, and what is most reasonable for your family as a whole. Most people have more than one car so make sure you have a kit specific for each car and driver and any passengers they may have on board at any time. Another thing to consider is the weather. It's a lot of things to keep in your car at once so things that you will only need seasonally, keep them in the garage nearby and make sure to put them in (ice scrapers, umbrella, warmer gloves and clothes) when the weather starts to change and take them out when they won't be needed. The last thing that I would suggest is make sure you have a "cleaning" kit of some sort in your car. You never know what might spill or happen in your car especially on long road trips. It's never fun to take long rides in a stinky car. Here is a checklist. It also includes some other ideas for emergency car kits.
I have normal and kind of unusual things in my car kit, which is all contained in a backpack. It is always a work in progress because I use things and then have to replace them or I realize, "Hey I should really put that in there". Here is my list:
20 ft. nylon rope
good work gloves
axe
fold-able shovel with saw edge
a roll of duct tape
small portable jump charger/phone charger/flashlight/jumper cables/air compressor(all in one case)
2 liter bottle of water
first aid kit(not a basic one)
headlamp with extra batteries
hand crank radio
food-granola bars, peanut butter, crackers, high calorie bars, candy, freeze dried meals(3),etc.
matches
poncho
emergency blanket
hand sanitizer
wipes
hand and body warmers
Swiss army knife and multi-tool
fingernail clippers
glow sticks
masks (you need them everywhere you go now)
a roll of trash bags
jack and spare tire (already in trunk just make sure the tire has air or you have a way to put in air)
Happy packing and safe travels!
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