What Makes A Car Safe? Part 3

For most people, cars today are just like most other appliances and commodities. We pay precious little attention to maintaining them, and are always surprised when they break. So what should you be doing to make sure your car is as safe as it can be?

Well, there are the completely obvious things first, which get overlooked with surprising regularity:

    * Clear your car interior of any objects which are not firmly secured. Anything which can roll around under the brake pedal or could go flying under braking is a real danger and should be safely stored in the glovebox or boot

    * Make sure your windows, lights and mirrors are clean from dirt and bugs at all times. How many dirty cars have you seen with a rear windscreen that is completely covered in dust or mud? (Here's a clue - if kids can write "Clean Me" on your rear window, take their advice). If you can't see properly through the windows, or the headlights can't light up the road properly, your ability to judge what's going on around you is impaired and you are more likely to have an accident

    * Strange noises, vibrations and warning lights need to be attended to rather than ignored. Chances are that they will not simply go away, and you don't want the engine to cut out just as you are pulling out into a busy road.

There are a few important areas of your car that you should be checking regularly, and you don't have to have any kind of mechanical understanding to be able to do this.

Tyres*

    * Check your tyre pressures regularly. Know how much air should be in your tyres and where the placard that will tell you that is located. If you are going away on holiday with a fully loaded car, it is normally recommend you run higher tyre pressures. Low tyre pressure will increase tyre wear and affect your steering in an emergency (and also uses a lot more fuel).

    * Check your tyre tread depth periodically. A new tyre will have 8mm of tread, and when you get to less 2mm it is definitely time for new tyres (legal limit in the UK is 1.6mm). Your tyres should ideally all be the same brand and specification, so they are all performing in a similar manner whatever the conditions.

    * While you're checking your tread, check the overall tyre condition. If you have crunched your wheels on a kerb or hit a pothole at speed, it may have damaged the tyre and/or wheel. If you see any bulges or tears in the tyre, get it checked immediately.

Wheels:

    * As above, if you have hit a pothole or kerb hard enough, it can damage the wheel itself. Scratches in the wheel surface are usually OK, but if you see even a faint crack, get the wheel looked at immediately.

    * Periodically check that your wheel nuts are tight, especially if you have recently changed any tyre, or if the car has had any servicing work done. Recently a client of mine heard a clunking noise coming from the wheel of the used car she had bought only days before, and discovered that one of the wheel nuts was missing and two others were loose. Under heavy braking or swerving, it is possible the wheel could have come off or broken and caused a big accident.

    * If you feel any vibration in the steering wheel or overall ride of the car, the wheels may need balancing. Again, potholes can easily knock a wheel out of balance, which can lead to a tyre or wheel failure later on.

    * If the car is pulling to the left or right when you are driving in a straight line, the wheels may need aligning. A wheel alignment will make sure the car tracks perfectly straight at all times. A car which pulls to one side will increase wear and tear on suspension, steering components and tyres. Or it can cause an accident if you get distracted momentarily and find that the car has changed lanes while you weren't watching.

Brakes:

    * Brake pads wear out over time and need to be replaced. It is not easy to see when the pads have worn down, but the brake pedal will progressively get softer and the car will take longer to stop from a given speed. When you have the car serviced, the garage's report will usually tell you how worn your brake pads are. If you can hear squealing under braking, or the brake pedal judders under your foot as you brake, the pads may need to be replaced or the discs may be warped and need machining.

Repairing and maintaining a car is always expensive, but it's still preferable to having an accident, where the cost of damage could well be the least of your problems. Keep your car in good running order and you will be much safer.

Stuart Masson is The Car Expert, a London-based independent and impartial expert for anyone looking to buy a new or used car.

Originally from Australia, Stuart has had a passion for cars and the automotive industry for nearly thirty years, and has spent the last seven years working in the automotive retail industry, both in Australia and in London.

Stuart has combined his extensive knowledge of all things car-related with his own experience of selling cars and delivering high levels of customer satisfaction to bring a unique and personal consultation service to the car buyers of London. The Car Expert offers specific and tailored advice for anyone looking for a new or used car in London.