A Comprehensive and Practical Car Safety Checklist

With so many moving parts in a car, checking and maintaining your vehicle regularly can add years to its life.

Most car owners want to enjoy their car for a long time, so to make this happen, it’s important to have a car safety checklist to ensure that your vehicle is in good condition.

Let’s take a look at the essential checks you can easily perform to have a stress-free driving experience. 👍

Fuel Level

Checking your fuel level is a must before going on a trip or even just a short drive. Don’t wait for your car to get to a dangerously low level before filling up.

You don’t necessarily have to have a full tank, especially if you’re only driving in the city. However, you might want to fill up your tank with enough fuel so that you don’t have to worry about running empty. 

But what if you have an electric car? In this case, make sure you recharge the batteries whenever you get home so that your vehicle will be ready for your next drive.

For any type of vehicle, you may also want to map out where you can refuel or recharge if you’re going on a long journey.

This will help you have a smooth driving experience and alleviate any worry while on the road.

Tyre Tread Depth

Driving with worn tyres negatively impacts the vehicle’s handling and braking. It’s also dangerous and illegal to drive a car with worn-out tyres.

If the tyre tread depth goes below 1.6mm, then you’ll be breaking the law and endangering yourself and other road users. 

It's best to have a measuring gauge so you can check the tyre tread depth regularly, especially before a long drive or if the weather conditions are not so good.

If the tread depth is between 1.6mm and 3mm, you may want to get your tyres replaced before too long so you won't have to worry about them whilst driving. 

Damaged Tyres

Don't forget that tyres don't necessarily wear down uniformly, so check more than one area of the tyre.

It might be worth getting your "tracking" checked at your local tyre supplies outlet to help ensure more even wear.

It doesn't cost too much and will save you money in the long run if you don't have to replace your tyres so soon.

Keep a look out for cracking, cuts, or splitting of the tyres, which can happen on the inside tyre wall and is so not easily visible. 

Tyre Pressure

Ensuring that your car tyres have the right pressure is important so that the vehicle can steer, grip, and brake properly.

If the tyres are under or overinflated, it will affect how you drive your car. You may want to get a tyre pressure gauge to check the pressure easily.

But most petrol stations have an air pressure machine you can use for a small charge (so keep some coins on hand!)

If you drive a newer car, you only have to check the vehicle's monitoring system to determine if the tyre pressures are correct.

If you’re not sure what the right pressure is for the tyres, you can easily find it in the owner’s manual or even on the panel inside the driver’s door. 

Lights

Every light of your vehicle is important. They allow you to see the road when it’s dark, raining, snowing, or if there’s fog.

Your car lights also warn other road users if you’re slowing down, reversing, turning left or right, or if you’re having a car problem. Make sure that all of your car lights are functioning properly. 

If you notice that some of your lights are less bright, get them checked, repaired, or replaced if needed so that they won't become faulty whilst you're on the road.

You can also do it yourself, but getting your car lights fixed at a garage isn’t such a big expense anyway, so having a professional do it might be better. 

Engine Coolant

The engine coolant is an essential component of your vehicle because it keeps your engine healthy. As its name implies, it regulates the temperature by cooling the system.

Some newer models no longer need topping up because they have closed cooling systems. If you have an older car, you’re more likely to need to check the coolant level regularly so you can top it up as often as necessary.

Just like the fuel level, don’t let the coolant level go beyond the minimum.

Oil Level

Oil is another important fluid for your car since it makes the engine run smoothly. If your car runs out of oil, the engine can stop running and may even significantly damage it.

Whenever you’re checking your car, don’t forget to pull up the oil dipstick, wipe it and re-insert it,  then you’ll be able to get a correct reading to know if you need to top it up. Remember to do this only when the engine is cold.

For newer vehicles, it’s easier to check the oil level just by looking at the dashboard. Whichever way works for your car, ensure that you check the oil level often and refill it with just the right amount as per your car's user manual.

Windscreen Wipers

It’s easy to neglect the windscreen wipers on days when the weather is great. However, if it’s rainy or snowy and your wipers don’t function well, it becomes a big problem because you won’t be able to see the road clearly.

Before any trip, make sure that the wipers work properly and that the screen wash is also filled with the right fluid. 

While you’re testing the wipers, you may also want to check the windscreen for any chips or cracks. Even the smallest crack can be dangerous because it weakens the glass.

If you find any chips on your windscreen, go to your local garage so that it can be repaired or replaced if needed. Ignoring cracks may lead to your windscreen shattering while you’re driving.

Takeaway

Having a car safety checklist is not only to prolong the life of your vehicle but also to prevent any accidents while you’re on the road.

Remember that it’s also your responsibility as a car owner to ensure that your vehicle is roadworthy so that you and other road users can safely travel without incident.

Safe driving! 😊