The 8-in-1 essential travel safety tool that can free you from a car accident, charge a cell phone, tune in to emergency broadcasts, illuminate a map and protect you from the unexpected

It's easy to hop in the car and zip across town or even cross-country without giving a second thought to emergency preparedness. Most of us assume we won't have a flat tire, there won't be a freak storm, we won't get into an accident and we won't be blindsided by some crazy driver hopped up on drugs or pharmaceuticals. Most of the time, we're right, but what happens when we get caught by the unexpected? In such situations, the right tools can literally save your life. They can free you from the seatbelts of a crushed car, alert emergency workers to your presence, or warn other drivers about your car's location with the use of a flashing hazard light that works even if your car's battery doesn't.

Now, such a tool really exists! Founded by Mike Adams, a consumer health and safety author who has published dozens of consumer guides, Better Life Goods has now launched an 8-in-1 Dynamo Emergency Tool that combines an LED flashlight, cell phone charger, AM/FM radio, seatbelt cutter, glass break tool, hazard light and siren in a compact, hand-held, eco-friendly product.

Now you can have all those tools in one place, in a reliable device that works on either batteries or dynamo (a winding handle that generates electricity as you rotate it). This product combines eight essential travel safety tools into a single device that fits easily in a purse or glove box. Here's what it features:

LED flashlight: A small LED light provides a reliable light source that uses very little power and lasts a lifetime (over 50,000 hours of actual light time). It's not as bright as a high-end flashlight, but it's always available because you can power it by cranking the dynamo handle. No batteries? No problem!

Seatbelt cutter: The thought of being trapped in a car by your own seatbelt is terrifying. Seatbelt cutting tools are routinely used by paramedics and fire department personnel to cut people out of their seatbelts following a car accident. Now you can have your own personal seatbelt cutter. Simply swipe this tool across your seatbelt, and an internal razor blade (which is safely covered so that it can only cut seatbelts, never hands or fingers) slices through the belt in seconds, freeing you from the car. Be sure to keep this tool within reach at all times so that you'll be able to access it if needed.

Glass break: Following a car accident, one of the greatest risks is fire. Leaking gasoline combined with exposed electrical wires often cause a fiery ignition. That's why getting OUT of your car is paramount to escaping a post-accident situation. But what happens if your door is jammed shut (which often happens in accidents because the cars get slightly bent, jamming the hinges)? Breaking a window with your fist is not an option, and few people have the leg power to kick out car windows. To solve this problem, our safety tool offers a built-in metal glass break impact point that instantly shatters vehicle windows, allowing you to escape. One firm strike will cause the window to fragment into tiny pieces of safety glass that you can safely brush off your lap or even crawl over to remove yourself from the vehicle.

AM/FM radio: What happens if you're stuck in a storm and almost out of gas? Staying informed about weather conditions is crucial, but keeping the car running in order to use the car radio will eventually use up all your gas or run down your battery, stranding you until help arrives. The Better Life Goods Dynamo Emergency Tool provides a multi-powered AM/FM radio with a built-in speaker so that you can listen to weather reports and public safety announcements without using your car's battery or fuel. One minute of winding the dynamo handle gives you up to 30 minutes of radio listening time, meaning you'll be able to stay informed even there's no power around.

Hazard flasher: Stuck on the side of the road? The hazard flasher feature of our Dynamo Emergency Tool allows you to alert other drivers to your presence. Simply turn on the flasher function and place the tool either on top of your vehicle or inside the back window where it's visible to others. The flashing orange LED light is visible from several hundred feet away at night. Flares, of course, would be better, but if you don't have flares, our hazard flasher is an acceptable substitute.

Cell phone charger: Cell phones are extremely useful during emergencies, but what happens if your cell phone battery goes dead? Now, with the use of the 8-in-1 Dynamo Emergency Tool, you can charge virtually any cell phone by cranking the dynamo handle for several minutes. Simply plug your cell phone into the device (attachments are provided for Siemens, Motorola, Sony-Ericsson, Samsung and Nokia), crank the dynamo handle for 2-3 minutes at a steady pace, and your cell phone will be charged with enough juice to make an emergency call.

Hazard siren: An audible siren feature allows you to alert rescue workers to your presence, even if you're unable to shout. Simply click the switch to the "Siren" feature and turn on the volume knob, and it emits a loud repeating siren noise that will unquestionably attract attention. It's a great way to let others know you're still there and need some help.

Personal safety: This 8-in-1 tool is shaped much like a hammer, and it can be easily gripped and wielded as a surprisingly effective self defense weapon by using the glass break metal point to strike an aggressor. To those who haven't studied self defense, it may not sound like an effective weapon, but in fact many self defense weapons (such as the Kubotan keychain weapon) are based on the same concept: concentrating physical momentum into a tiny point that can cause severe pain to an attacker. One strike to the temple, and any attacker still standing is likely to flee. The tool isn't built as a weapon, of course, and that isn't its primary function, but in a pinch, it can be quite intimidating and effective at motivating people to go away (or making them pay if they don't).

What's obvious is that this 8-in-1 dynamo safety tool can help you out in a number of difficult situations. Along with a working cell phone, it's the one tool to have by your side when traveling virtually anywhere. (Note: TSA authorities may not allow you to carry this on an airplane, so pack it in your luggage instead.) It's also a perfect gift to give someone who puts a lot of miles on the road traveling, commuting, taking the kids camping or even just driving to the grocery store (95% of all car accidents happen within two miles of home).

Thoughtful features make it so simple to use that even a child can figure it out

In fact, the tool is designed with a number of important features:

Dynamo power: Every electrical function on the tool (LED light, radio, flasher, siren, cell phone charging) can be powered by the dynamo charging handle. One minute of steady cranking provides many minutes of operation (depending on which function being used), so even if you have no batteries and the device has been in storage for years, you can always pick it up, crank the dynamo handle, and get usable power.

Magnetic base: Its base is made with an embedded magnet that can be used to help secure the tool to any storage area with a magnetic floor or wall (such as a car trunk). This helps you find the tool when you really need it, and it prevents it from sliding around your vehicle when you're driving.

Charging indicator light: This tiny red LED let's you know electricity is flowing when you turn the dynamo crank. It's a smart visual indicator that won't leave you guessing.

Dual battery sources (AA): The tool provides two separate battery options: A 2 x AA alkaline battery compartment (where you can insert long-life alkaline batteries), and a separate 2 x AA NiMH rechargeable battery compartment (these are the batteries that are recharged when you crank the dynamo handle). It comes with two 1000mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries (which are cadmium free), and you can upgrade them with higher capacity batteries by simply swapping them out. (We recommend our Powerex 2700 AA batteries, also available on this site.) You can also use this battery compartment as a makeshift battery charger. Insert any pair of rechargeable AA batteries and crank the dynamo handle for several minutes. A charge of approximately 200mA (milliamps) will flow into the batteries. Please note that this is only a makeshift battery charging solution. You'd have to crank the dynamo handle like this for one hour to charge a pair of typical rechargeable AA batteries to only 10% of their capacity. But in a pinch, this can get you by.

Seatbelt cutter safety: The seatbelt cutter blade is recessed in the plastic housing in a way that keeps it safely out of reach of hands or fingers, yet keeps it instantly ready to slice through a seatbelt (or any similar strap).

Carrying strap: A handy braided-cord carrying strap keeps the tool securely on your wrist when using it as a glass break tool (or self defense device).

Eco-friendly design: We selected NiMH batteries instead of the more common Ni-Cad batteries (which contain toxic cadmium), and the manufacturing materials are completely mercury free. We've also built it for long life so that it doesn't end up contributing to landfill.

Enhance your emergency preparedness at home, too

Other uses of our 8-in-1 Dynamo Emergency Tool include:

• Camping: It makes a perfect flashlight and radio.
• Off-grid travel: For traveling anywhere that doesn't have electricity.
• Visiting national parks: Parks like Yellowstone are enormous, and cell phones simply don't work there. Keep this preparedness tool in your car at all times.
• Driving to unknown areas of a city: Going to a side of town you're not familiar with? Stay prepared with this safety tool.
• Boating or sailing: Water activities demand safety and preparedness tools. Although this tool isn't waterproof, it works perfectly as an on-the-boat emergency tool.
• Gift for family members who drive: Do you sometimes worry about the safety of your children, your parents or other family members who drive? Give them this 8-in-1 Dynamo Emergency Tool and you'll feel a whole lot better about their safety.

No car or home should be without a tool like this. Emergency preparedness is everyone's individual responsibility. It's also important to prepare before disaster strikes. Once a storm hits, or a car accident happens, or you find yourself stranded in the wilderness, it's too late to take precautions. Take action ahead of time, before you anticipate needing the emergency tools, and you'll rest easier every time you travel.

What's included, what's not

It also comes with a cell phone charging cable and adapters for the following phone brands:

• Siemens
• Motorola
• Sony-Ericsson
• Samsung
• Nokia

Please note: Cell phone manufacturers drive everybody nuts by changing their connectors all the time. We cannot guarantee these connectors will fit your phone, even if it is a brand listed here. You may have to purchase an after-market cell phone connector at Radio Shack or an online retailer. Prices vary from around $5 - $10 per connector. We do not sell connectors separately.

What's not included is the following:

• The alkaline AA battery compartment is empty. You will need to insert your own alkaline batteries into this compartment if you wish to use them. (This is entirely optional. Using the device does not actually require alkaline batteries.)
• There is no wall charger or car charger that would charge the internal batteries from an external source. Although a DC plug will accept a 4.5V charge, no charger is included with the unit because it's not necessary. The best way to charge the unit is to charge its AA batteries in a NiMH battery charger like the Powerex WizardOne battery charger we sell here (which is a premium, top-of-the-line charger that also measures battery capacity and performance).

In all, you'll find our 8-in-1 Dynamo Emergency Tool to be an essential device in your vehicle or home (or use it in both places!). It's a smart step towards personal or family preparedness. Every person we've shown this to has said, "I gotta have one in my car!" (In fact, we've been sending them out as much-appreciated gifts to friends and family members.)

Check it out for yourself. And if you have a child commuting to college, or a spouse commuting to work, or parents who travel cross-country in an RV, consider getting them this 8-in-1 Dynamo Emergency Tool. It's a small investment for providing a lifetime of preparedness.