If you have any trips planned for the Spring, you will want to make sure that your car is completely ready for your journey and isn’t going to break down on you. So many of us delay getting our cars a regular checkup and this isn’t a risk that we should be taking. All it needs is a few minutes to check your car over and make any updates required to ensure you are travelling as safely as you can.
Have you got the right tyre pressure?
Make sure your tyres have the right pressure. You don’t want to get in trouble for underinflated tyres. Not inflating them properly can lead to a poor performance from your car and an increased risk to your safety, affecting the vehicle’s braking ability and increasing fuel consumption. You can always check the right tyre pressure in your car's handbook. Did you know that if you have a heavy load (and this could include luggage and a full car) then the tyre pressures should be different? Most petrol stations will have an air machine and for 50 pence you can check the tyre pressure and inflate the tyres to the correct pressure.
New tyres?
Check if you require new tyres. Look out for damage and any wear and look at the tread. As every driver should know, the law requires tyres to have a minimum tread depth of at least 1.6mm. Don’t have this? You’re putting yourself and other road users at risk and are risking some points on your licence. Is it worth it?
If you need new tyres, make sure to get a good brand at an affordable price. Get tyres for all makes & models from Jet Wheel Tyre website at cheap rates.
Check your lights
Make sure you are checking these on a regular basis. You don’t want to start on a long trip and find that the bulbs are blown or that there is a minor crack. Finding these discrepancies before you set off saves a lot of time - and money - in the long run. Did you know you could also get penalty points and a fine if your brake lights aren't working?
When did you last check your oil?
This should be done on a regular basis too - if your car is older, you can measure the oil with a dipstick check and if newer, there should be an electronic measure. This is one of the easiest things to sort out yourself when it comes to car maintenance so there really is no excuse not to check regularly.
Don't forget a service and MOT
Don’t forget the dates of your service and MOT. Make sure you are taking your car to be serviced regularly, especially the things that you find difficult to do yourself. An MOT is a legal requirement for a car that is more than three years old so there is no excuse to forget - put it down your diary and get it checked out, just to be sure you are as safe as you can possibly be. Some garages even contact you when your MOT is due so there is no excuse.
If you want to travel this spring, especially on long journeys, then you need to make sure you are taking every precaution to have a roadworthy and safe car. There are no excuses when it comes to ensuring that you are safe travelling in your car. Both you, your passengers and other road users shouldn’t have to worry about any risks because of some checks that you haven’t done.
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In this hot weather it's easy to forget to top up the windscreen washer fluid but that's an easy one to do yourself too.
ReplyDeleteSwapping the filter on the airconditioning might help improve it's performance, that normally not too difficult but can involve taking off a few panels which is a bit scary the first time you do it.
I am rubbish at checking my car, really need to check my oil etc. Really great tips and reminders x
ReplyDeleteThis is such a helpful post and a great reminder to get our cars checked in time for our travels as we have a few long distance travel scheduled.
ReplyDeleteYeah Lifestyle
Hahaha... all of this seem like gibberish to me. Thank God for my husband!
ReplyDeleteTop check list, I tend to leave this side of things to my partner haha x
ReplyDeleteThese are all really important points to remember, we always try to do a quick car check over before we are taking a long road trip
ReplyDelete