Driving your car becomes a habit. While this is great, because it makes driving so much easier, it can also mean you might fall into bad habits. When you first learn to drive, you are much more aware of what you are doing and all the checks you should make on your car before you drive, especially if you are going on a long journey. This is because it is all fresh in your mind. As the years pass by and you become a more experienced driver, it is easy to forget to complete safety checks on your car. You might not even feel that you have to conduct safety checks on your car if you are only doing small journeys or commuting to work and back. However, you must take time to check your car regularly. If you are going on long journeys, you should always check before every journey. If you are only commuting to work and back, or perhaps using your car for short journeys, you should check your car every so often, at least once per month, or even more. You should also conduct more thorough checks every six months, during the winter months, or if your car has been sitting around for a while. These checks can save your life, your family’s lives, and other drivers.
Conducting safety checks on your car regularly will help you in both the short term and the long term. It will help you to prevent any safety and breakdown issues. If you check your car and spot something that is not right before you set off, you will be able to fix it before you head on the road and avoid any accidents or being stuck on the side of the road, which in itself is very dangerous. It can also help you to catch any issues early on, rather than issues getting worse and then becoming not only a safety hazard for you, your family, and other road users, but it can also become a very costly problem to have. Car repairs are not cheap, and neither is maintenance. But taking the time and spending a little money to maintain your car from the outset will cost a lot less money and take a lot less effort than ignoring it all.
There are many important checks that you can conduct on your car before both long and short journeys, that will help you to take a more preventative approach, be safe on the road, and reduce any costly risks. Once you have learned what important things you should check, you can create your checklist and routines. This will become much easier when you know what you’re doing and what to look for. Eventually, it will become a new habit. If you have children, it will also be a good way to role model positive behavior that they will also do when they get older and get their car. To help you on your journey, here are some top things to check on your car. These apply to all cars, regardless of what make and model you have.
Check the car fluids
Fluids are an important part of any vehicle to keep it safe and keep it running. Fluids either act as lubricants, coolants, or fuel to keep your car going safely. Each fluid in your car will have a minimum and maximum level assigned to them, both required for the car to run and be safe, but in some cases, also by law. If you want to reduce the risks of causing an accident, breaking down, or coming up against safety issues, then you should regularly check your car fluid levels. You should also learn about the minimum and maximum requirements for your specific car, as every vehicle will be different. These should be checked every time you go on a long journey, and regularly with shorter ones. If the fluids are not at their minimum levels, you may find issues such as wearing down your breaks, overheating the engine, safety risks with unclear windows, and much more. Here are some of the fluids you should check regularly:
- Windscreen washer
- Brake fluid
- Engine oil
- Clutch fluid
- Power steering fluids
Tire condition and pressure
You must check both the condition of your tires, as well as the air pressure. Each car will have a minimum air pressure level that should be met, which can be found on the inside of your door or in the handbook. You should ensure that you don’t drive with it any less than the minimum. You may also need to adjust the air pressure depending on the weight inside the car, for example, if you are going on a long journey and filling up your car with people and luggage, your car may have instructions on different pressure levels. You should also check the condition of your tires. Make sure the tread is within the legal limit, so you are not at risk of being pulled over but also to ensure you are keeping yourself safe. Check for any punctures or debris stuck in the tires.
Lights
You should always do a quick check of all your lights to ensure they are working. It is illegal to not have all of your car lights working, even if it is just one of them missing. Make sure you turn them all on when it is dark so you can check. You may need the help of a friend or family member so you can check the brake and reverse lights.
A plan of action in case of emergency
In addition to physical car checks, you should also check and make a plan of action in case of an emergency. Whether you are doing small drives or long road trips, you never know what could happen. While you might be a good and safe driver, it is out of your control when you get on the road as there are other drivers you have to consider. You should always ensure that you have spare food and water, blankets, a torch, and a high-visibility jacket in your car in case you find yourself stranded or in an accident. These will be the essential things you need on the road. You may also consider a good insurance policy to cover you if anything happens, and a good car accident lawyer to help you with any personal injury claims.
Driving might seem simple to you, but there are lots of risks involved. Make sure you conduct these checks regularly.
