Preparing your car for the journey ahead

Preparing for your family holiday? Remember you can go nowhere unless your car is ready. The worst case scenario is that if your car is not ready for the roads, then this may just be your last holiday.

Here is a short checklist to ensure your car is ready for the trip ahead:

1. Make sure your car-jack, wheel spanner and spare tyre are in perfect condition:

The value of this is immeasurable. If you were to have a blow-out, these tools are the keys to ensuring your holiday can get back on track in a jiffy.

2. Inspect your wipers:

Summer is here, so having a good set of wiper blades cleaning your windscreen is extremely important as you set off on holiday. Passing showers are common in South Africa, but can be deadly if your blades aren’t up to scratch.

3. Ensure your tyres have enough tread:

One of the leading causes of collisions on South African roads is losing control of the car because tyres could not grip the road properly.

The minimum legal amount of tread on your tyre is five millimetres, but you can do better. Make sure the tyre tread is more than one centimetre deep to keep traction in sticky situations.

4. Make sure your lights work properly:

This includes cleaning the casing of your headlights. Fading lightbulbs, or globes facing the wrong direction can be deadly to you and others.

5. Let people know where you are:

Having someone know where you are is the best piece of mind, and the main catalyst in getting help should something go wrong.

Make sure the person you inform of the trip is always reachable, and can be mobile if need be. Planning any holiday or weekend away can be stressful, but failing to check your car before leaving could be fatal. Remember this before you set out and do not drink and drive.