Road Trip Ready: 6 Checks Every Driver Should Do Before Leaving Home
Before you head out on a long road trip, it’s important to ensure a safe journey by checking your vehicle over prior to setting off.
We often assume that the vehicle we drive is in good condition until we experience the worst-case scenario of it breaking down while on the road.
It’s essential both for the car’s health and for your peace of mind that you do these checks every time you go. Whether it’s a few days before travel or on the morning of, checking over your vehicle will help ensure what you’re driving is roadworthy and without faults.
Six checks every driver should do before leaving home
Let’s take a look at the six essential checks you should be making for your next road trip coming up.
-
Tyres
Firstly, always be aware of your tyres and how they’re looking in terms of tyre pressure, and the same check should be made to the spare if you have one.
Proper pressure and sufficient tread depth are something to look for. As well as that, you should inspect your tyres for any cuts, bulges or cracks.
If you find you have a flat tyre or a problem where the tyre needs replacing, then using a fast mobile tyre fitting will help get the issue sorted quickly. That way, you don’t need to spend any longer than necessary waiting to fix the problem. You can simply get on the road as soon as possible.
-
Engine fluids
It’s good to be aware of your engine fluids, from the oil, coolant and brakes. It’s good to ensure the engine oil is at the correct level and that the coolant is filled in order to prevent overheating from occurring.
Brake fluid is something to check too in order to ensure it’s sufficient. Just like we need water as humans, your vehicle needs to have all of the necessary fluids to keep it in good condition. Otherwise, you’ll likely do preventative damage to your car as a result, costing you more in the long-term.
-
Battery health
It’s a good idea to inspect the battery if possible to ensure the connections are secure and that it’s fully charged. This is something that is worth doing in cases where your car or vehicle has been sitting idle for a while.
There are plenty of resources online as well as in your manfactucter’s guide when it comes to checking your battery health.
-
Emergency kit and documents
It’s worthwhile to pack a kit with jumper cables, a first aid kit, flashlight and water. These are a few of the emergency essentials that you might need if you end up getting stuck on the road for some reason.
Emergency supplies in the form of food, water, etc. can all be helpful in situations where you need to sustain yourself for a few hours or more.
You should also ensure your license, registration and insurance are all in the vehicle too.
-
Lights and electrics
Be sure to test all of your headlights, indicators, brake lights and reversing lights are working to ensure they’re functional for the drive.
These are the parts of the car that often go out without you realising but could actually put you in danger if they’re not sorted out sooner rather than later.
With that in mind, always check and if there’s one that’s gone out, get it fixed quickly before you leave for your travels.
-
Wipers and windscreen
Another good check to make when it comes to your vehicle, is the wiper blades. Check these for splits or damage and ensure there’s plenty of windshield washer fluid topped up too. You don’t want to find yourself without any windscreen wash on the motorway and with a dirty windscreen to contend with.
What to do if you break down on the road
If you’re in a situation where you’ve broken down on the road, then there are a number of steps to take to keep yourself safe and get yourself back on the road soon enough.
Visibility
Be sure to turn on your hazard lights and side lgihts if it’s dark or foggy.
Positioning
Pull over to the far left where you can, turning wheels left to avoid being pushed into traffic if your car gets hit whilst wait for help to arrive.
Exit safely
Try to exit the car from the side furthest from the traffic as this will mitigate as much risk of being hurt as possible.
Stand safe away from the car
Don’t stay in your car or stand near it. You want to move well away from the car and from traffic, ideally behind a safety barrier where possible.
Warning triangle
If you have one, a warning triangle should be placed around 45 meters behind your car. However, never put it on a motorway hard shoulder.
Call for help
For motorways, you can try to locate a nearby emergency phone as this is useful to help the emergency services to locate you more easily.
Otherwise, it’s best to use your mobile phone and try to describe where you are.
If you can’t move
If you’re stuck in a live lane, then stay in your car with your seatbelts on. Turn on your hazards and call emergency services immediately. You’re safer in your car than trying to get out of it and to the side of a motorway.
How to keep your vehicle well-maintained
In order to keep your vehicle well-maintained and to avoid any problems on the road or with your car in the future. There are a few key pointers to implement for the future.
Firstly, make sure you’re always following your manufacturer’s service schedule usually annually or every 10,000 miles.
As mentioned above, check oil and fluid levels and do this every two weeks if you can. Maintain properr tyre pressure and wash it regularly in order to prevent rust from forming. Addressing any strange noises is also helpful, as well as replacing worn wipers/filters to prevent minor issues from becoming more expensive repairs.
