- Battery Checks
No matter which part of the World you are driving in, a drained battery can cause you a lot of unwanted trouble on the road. While in some cars, lights shut off automatically, there are still those that don’t. For these cars, never forget to turn the lights off. This is because, each time, you let the car battery go dead, it loses power. Ideally, a battery needs to be replaced every four years. With repeated instances of a dead battery, it will be weaker and need to be replaced much sooner. For best results, remember to get the power checked by an auto technician with a load meter. And keep a lookout for a white powdery residue on the battery. This can build up over time and end up impeding the flow of electricity and causing starting problems in the car. If the residue is present, clean off the battery terminals right away.
- Tire Pressure Checks
At a minimum, once a month, make sure to check the air pressure in your car’s tires. Ideally, however, this should be done once a week. When under-inflated, the tires can end up building heat. This then ends up leading to bursting along with a rapid loss of air pressure. Called a tire “blowout”, it truly is one of the most dangerous driving situations. Under-inflated tires also create immediate handling problems and increased rolling resistance negatively impacting your fuel economy and ending up increasing your running costs.
- Bi-annual replacing of windshield wipers
Going by the weather condition in your area, replace your windshield wipers once every 6 months, especially before the winter and spring because of weather conditions. Being exposed to outside elements such as rain, snow and sun, the wipers get worn down. This can, in turn, lead to streaking and obscured vision.
- Keep an Emergency Kit in Your Car
Here is a quick list of items that must be in your car as part of the emergency kit – Flashlight, Basic Tools, Fire Extinguisher, Jumper Cable, Gloves, Antifreeze, Oil, First Aid Kit, Reflective Vest, Warning Triangle and life hammer. During winter, add to this an ice scraper, a blanket, a bag of abrasive material and a small shovel.
- The Spare Key
This is a must have. Many emergency calls in most countries, especially those that face harsh winter conditions have been traced to people being locked out of their vehicles. So it is suggested always to carry a spare key or keep it in an accessible place. Be careful about taking the key with you when you lock the vehicle and step out of it.
The above 5 safety tips are quite literally non-negotiable and sure to prevent or help any untoward driving incident for you and your loved ones.
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