We love getting out and about in the summer. “Road trip” is always a welcome call to our boys. All you need is half decent weather, snacks, a car and you’re good to go. Or are you? Car maintenance is important if you want to make sure that you are travelling safely, legally and that you will arrive where you want to be in good time and without any drama.
We’ve recently signed up for an English Heritage membership and have some Air BnB trips and much budget-friendly fun on the horizon. You know that before we set off all of these checks will be made and that summer holiday car maintenance will be at the top of our do to list. I can’t imagine anything more frustrating than car problems when all you want to do is be enjoying family time.
Check Your Tyres
With fines of up to £2500 and points on your licence if you are found to be driving with unsafe wheels, let alone the damage to yourself, your passengers or others that could be caused by driving on them, there is no excuse for not prioritising good tyre maintenance. At Iverson Tyres, for example, you can book your car tyres in online for free or visit their branch to make sure that everything is as it should be. Don’t forget, The minimum amount of tread that should be on a tyre is 1.6mm in order for it to be legal. This is the legal minimum but not necessarily best practice and therefore you should aim to have more on there to ensure you are driving as safely as possible.
Tyre treads, damage i.e. bulges, patches, foreign objects such as nails where you don’t want them as well as having the wrong tyre pressure (too much or too little) could all contribute to a car accident.
Car Maintenance: Check Your Fluids
Cars get thirsty and for more than just water. Before taking off on any journey you need to make sure that you have enough windscreen water/wash, coolant, oil and fuel. Also, remember that you not only have to have water topped up but that you should have spare in the boot or similar. Running out of water on a dusty road or behind a vehicle that kicks up spray and mud is not great.
Good visibility is essential for good driving which leads on nicely to my next must-check point.
Visually Inspect Your Glass
It only takes a stone flicked up by a passing wagon to chip a windscreen. Chips and cracks often go undetected at first unless you are vigilant. Driving with a chip or crack is a no go, and the Highway Code makes it clear that drivers should have a full view of the road and that all glass must be in good condition. Due to this, driving with anything that stops you seeing properly or with damage such as a cracked windscreen is a motoring offence and therefore could land you in hot water if you are caught. To save your self trouble, make sure that you check your windows, paying particular attention to the windscreen.
Summer Holiday Car Maintenance: In Conclusion
It goes without saying that if you have warning lights on, that they should probably be checked over before you think about taking the car out on a day trip or off on your summer holidays. Not only can effective car maintenance keep you out of trouble with the authorities, but it will also help to keep you, your family and other road users safe. When putting together your “must-do” list for your trip, make sure that car maintenance is right up there at the top. Double check that your MOT is up to date, that you have snacks, drinks, medicines and other essentials in the car and enjoy!
