Keeping Your Car Safe

There are many simple things that anyone who drives a car can do to make sure that everyone inside your car will remain safe when they are traveling with you.  By performing simple basic inspections you can often times identify a potential problem before it threatens to strand you or worse yet cause an accident.

Complete Fluid Check

This is an easy process; the hardest part for some is popping the hood and opening it up. Once the hood of your vehicle is in a safe position, start by investigating your overflow container for the level of coolant that is in there.  Usually they come with a line that will tell you if your level is high low or right on.  Just fill the overflow to this level with coolant and you should be safe from overheating.  The next fluid you should check is your windshield washer fluid.  This may not seem important but if your windshield gets covered with any substance like dirt when you are driving or slush in the winter, this fluid can save your life. It is easy to fill and the fluid itself is very inexpensive.  Check your oil next by pulling out the dipstick and wiping off on a rag and then reinsert it, and pull it out again. If the level isn’t where it should be, you can add some oil to your motor.

Lighting System should be Running Well

Another system that you don’t often check but can cause a real problem when you are traveling if it should not be functioning properly is your lighting system.  It all begins with your headlights, because if they are not functioning properly you field of vision will be reduced and you will not have enough reaction time to avoid things in the roadway or other vehicles that may be beside the road.  Always keep your headlights clear from dirt and other road grime so that they will illuminate as much as possible. If a headlight is out you need to replace it right away, this is a reason for a police officer to stop you, because you are in danger if you lose the other one what will you do.  Your rear lights should also be checked, these are your running lights which show people where you are in the dark.  Without these lights you are in significant danger from vehicles behind you.  The brake lights are also included in this system; they let someone driving behind you to be aware that you may be stopping soon. Without these lights functioning you are going to be subject to a rear ending accident.  Finally the backing lights need to be kept functioning so that someone walking or driving behind your car will be aware of your intention to back up and they won’t be hit by your vehicle.

Safety is Your Responsibility

Simple safety inspections like this are vital to the safe operation of your vehicle whether you are running a big pickup truck or you drive one of the new highbred vehicles.   As a driver of a vehicle you are responsible for all of the people in and around your vehicle and taking that responsibility seriously will allow everyone to remain safe.