Your used car pre-holiday safety check

December time is a bit of a hot spot for accidents on the road, which makes ensuring the safety of your family and other passengers and important thing for you to consider.

The best way to go about this is to thoroughly inspect the condition of those features of your car that contribute to its safety.

Check oil & water

A lot of motorists tend to neglect checking these on a regular basis, and it should be done just about every time you fill up.

While it is essential that there is enough of each fluid, you also need to check the quality of your oil to see if it might need replacing.

Are there any leaks?

If you park in the same place each day, take a look under the car for any oil marks.

You can also try moving your car to another position, somewhere where the ground is clear.

Leave the car there for about 15 minutes and then check underneath it again. If you see any water or oil marks on the floor, you likely have a leak.

The things that give you visibility

Check the condition of your wipers and headlights. While you’re at it check the indicators, brake lights and reverse lights as well.

If there are any chips or cracks on your windshield, you should definitely have it replaced too before leaving for holiday.

Holding the road

New tyres generally have 8mm of tread on them, while safety demands that you should have at least 2mm. If your tread is any shallower than that, you should definitely have your tyres replaced before leaving.

Additionally, you should also check the pressure of your tyres before leaving to ensure that they hold the road properly during a long trip.

Keeping a spare

You should also make sure that you have all the tools needed to change your tyre should anything happen.

If you have never changed a tyre before, you should watch a couple of YouTube videos on how to do it; maybe even practice if you need to.

Having said this, if you have bought a second hand car recently, be sure to check its spare tyre to make sure that it can be used if one of your others needs replacing.

Check your brakes and clutch

The next thing you want to do is ensure that your brakes and your clutch are in good condition.

Take your car for a test drive. If you hear any grinding noises when you brake, or feel like your car hasn’t got quite enough stopping power, you might want to have your disks replaced.

If the clutch feels loose or stuck, or you have difficulty shifting gears, there is likely a problem.

The emergency kit

Be sure to keep a fully stocked emergency kit in your car before you leave.

If you already have one, take a moment to go over its inventory to ensure that you have everything you need.

Making things comfortable

During your long trip, your passengers will need to feel comfortable, but on top of that, you will likely need to make space for luggage, snacks and anything else you want to bring with you.

So, get that packet out and clear your car before leaving.

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