Travel Safety Checks
The festive season is here, while it is a time for giving and sharing, this also means the December holidays. Pack your bags and all the essentials you may need for an amazing holiday and get ready to hit the road!
Before you get too excited though, ensure the most important part of going on holiday has been taken care of… your car! Some people consider their car as part of the family. You feed it (fill petrol), provide it with shelter (undercover parking/ garage), and make sure it has everything it needs as it takes you from A to B.
The checks you would do for your car on a regular basis, are different compared to what needs to be done if you were taking a long-distance drive.
Fill up your tank and do your normal checks such as the oil and water/coolant level in your car however, here is a list of safety checks you should look out for before you go on that holiday.
Tyres
If your tyres are new, you may not need to get new ones or swap them around, however, it would be a good idea to just check the pressure of your tyres. For this, you can take it to any petrol station to add or reduce the air.
You could even do this when you decide to fill up your tank. It is recommended to check your tyre pressure when they are cold as this will ensure a more accurate reading. Equal pressure on all your tyres would give you a more balanced and comfortable drive.
For safety and performance reasons, you should change your tyres when the tread depth reaches 3-4mm. For expert advice on when to change your tyres, take your car to a tyre company or to your nearest dealership for your tyres to be checked properly to give you peace of mind.
Brakes
One of the more important checks to do for your car is your brakes. If your car has recently been serviced, your brakes would have been checked and you should have been advised accordingly. However, if it has been a while and you are not completely sure if they are in good condition, rather be safe and have them checked out. You wouldn’t want to have a squeaky noise from your brakes bothering you while you’re trying to unwind and relax on your holiday.
Wipers
Prepare yourself for any rainy day! If your wipers are new, they may leave a little line at the beginning which is normal. However, they start shuddering and smearing as an indication that you need new wipers. Make sure you have good durable wipers for you to have a clear view even when driving in wet, stormy weather.
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Fun fact: Windshield wipers on cars have been in use since 1905 (invented by Mary Anderson). In 1921, William M. and Fred Folberth invented the first automatic windshield wipers. That is over a century in safety technology!
Lights
Every once in a while, it’s great to take a late-night drive to get some ice cream or grab a quick snack, and why not! No one ever said that was a bad thing, especially when you’re on holiday. Enjoy every minute of it but when driving, be sure to do so with bright, clear lights. That includes your daytime running lights, headlights, hazards, and even your indicators. They always need to be working efficiently anyway. You wouldn’t want to get a fine when you’re on holiday because your front left headlight isn’t working properly.
There are 3 types of car headlights! These are LED, Xenon (HID), and Halogen headlights. LED has a cool color temperature; halogen headlights are more of an economical alternative and Xenon headlights provide the best illumination for roads but are usually found in high-end or luxury car brands.
Battery
The average lifespan of a car battery is 3-5 years. If you’re heading to that mark, you need to check your battery life before you go anywhere. Although, your car battery light should go on to indicate it needs a new battery. However, the battery life in your car is a safety check which needs to be done whether your car battery is new or old.
One of the best parts about bringing your car into Carter for a service is that we do a safety check for you. That means, all these checks that you would need to do, are done for you. No need to worry or stress about getting any of these done on time as Carter makes sure a detailed safety check is completed, and the necessary work is done on your car so you can have peace of mind knowing your car is in the best driving condition.
So now that your car is ready to go, you should be too. Enjoy a comfortable and pleasurable drive wherever the road takes you this festive season!
For information regarding safety checks or services, don’t hesitate to contact us on 010 045 2682 or on 031 045 0500.
You can also contact us via email at [email protected].
