Preparing Your Vehicle for a Safe Summer Road Trip

By Car Accident Help on May 21, 2013 | Posted in: Car Accident Injury

Road trips are relatively inexpensive and can be fun for the whole family. They can also prove dangerous if proper precautionary steps are not taken. Even if your car is relatively new, it is important that you perform a mechanical check before hitting the roadway. It is particularly important to check the fluids, hoses, belts, tires, and brakes. If you are uncomfortable with performing this type of check on your own, take your vehicle to a trusted mechanic for an inspection.

Here is what you should look for if you perform the inspection yourself:

• Check when you will need an oil change. If you will need one during the first couple days of travel, you might as well get one before you leave. You should also inspect your vehicle’s oil levels. If you are going to pull a trailer, you may need fully synthetic engine oil for extra protection from thermal breakdown.
• There are other fluid reservoirs to check in your car as well. For example, you need to check your transmission and drive axle levels.
• Look closely at the hoses. Hard, cracked hoses can spurt fluids putting you at risk of breaking down.
• Check the belts in your car by turning them on their side to look at the friction surface. If it is ragged, cracked, or torn, you need new ones.
• Check your coolant levels. Newer vehicles are designed to travel more than 100,000 miles with the same engine coolant, but it is still advisable to make sure you have enough.
• Your tires should have adequate tread and pressure. A tire blowout on the highway can result in serious injury car accidents.
• If your brakes are squishy or squeaky, you should get them checked by a professional.

The knowledgeable Oklahoma personal injury lawyers at the Maples Law Firm wish you safe summer travels. If you or a loved one is injured as the result of a negligent driver, please call our offices at (888) 226-6159 to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights.