Are you thinking about heading out on a road trip? If so, then you need to make sure that you are making the right checks to your vehicle. Here are some of the options we recommend you consider.
Tires
First, you need to make sure that you are checking out the wheels on your car. Start with the tires. Your tires must have the right level of air pressure. If you don’t have the right air pressure then your car is going to be far more dangerous on the road. It will impact the stability of your car on the road. You can find the right pressure for your tires by checking the manual of your vehicle. You might also want to check the wheel alignment. Problems with the wheel alignment will cause the car to swerve to the right or the left while you are out on the road. As well as being more dangerous, it will also make driving far more tiring overall too.
Brakes
You never want to be in your car when the brakes decide to stop working. This is a very rare occurrence but it can happen. You mustn’t go about your day thinking it will never happen to you. A quick and easy push on the brake before you set off will assure you that they are in full working order. If you find anything wrong with your brakes, you shouldn’t drive your car. Call your local garage or breakdown recovery service to get your car taken in to be fixed.
Suspension
You need to think about problems with your suspension too. If there is an issue with the suspension, then this is just one more reason why your car might be unstable on the road. This is the last thing you want, particularly if you are traveling somewhere that you haven’t been before. You can check the suspension on your vehicle by completing the bounce test. Simply put your car in park and then ‘bounce’ on the back and on the front. If it takes more than a couple of jolts to stop bouncing, this suggests there is an issue and you need to speak to a mechanic.
Lights
Lastly, before any journey you should check that your lights are working. The last thing you want is to be out at night and have broken headlights or rearlights. If you are wondering how you can check your lights, there are several ways to do this. If you are traveling with someone then get them to do a walk round of the car to check all lights are on, this includes your reversing lights. If you are on your own then you can make use of your surroundings to check your lights work. If you find that your lights are not working as they should, then get them fixed before you drive.
We hope this helps you understand some of the key checks that you must make before you head out on a road trip. A road trip can be a fantastic option for a travel adventure and the last thing that you want is to end up broken down. This could put a damper on your entire journey. By checking your car, this is easy to avoid. Enjoy tour trip!
Thank you for reading!
