REMINDER RE SAFETY CHECKS ON YOUR VEHICLE BEFORE THE WEATHER CHANGES

Some tips from the Police on safety checks to carry out to your vehicle before the weather changes.

We are entering the Autumn season and the first rains [in some areas] have already made their tentative appearance. Driving on wet roads, however, hides many traps and risks of road accidents. For our safe road traffic over the next period, it is good for owners and drivers to test and prepare their vehicles so that they are suitable for driving under rainy conditions.

Here are some simple preventive measures that we need to take for both our own safety and the safety of other road users:

1. Tyres: Ensure that the tyres have both the necessary depth in the tread grooves and the correct pressure. Rain makes roads slippery, especially during the first rains. The regular depth in the tread grooves helps to prevent the vehicle sliding, as it helps provide better grip. If the tyres are worn, it is good to replace them early, before the first rains of autumn.

2. Brakes: Make sure that the brakes of the vehicle are in good condition. The good condition of the brakes gives us greater safety, especially in exceptional cases where we have to stop our vehicle immediately and at a very short distance. Such emergency situations on the road network are more frequent during rainfall and we need to make sure that our vehicle brakes are not worn and functioning properly.

3. Lights: Check that the vehicle's driving lights, tail lights, brake lights and orange indicator lights operate normally. Visibility on the streets when it is raining is diminished and adversely affects our safe movements. By illuminating our vehicle's driving lights, we become more visible to other passers-by. Furthermore, it is often necessary in emergencies to use our orange traffic indicators as a sign of danger to other drivers.

4. Windscreen wipers:   Make sure that windscreen wipers are in good condition and that there is enough water in the windshield washer. Many times the mud on the pavement or road, when it rains, is projected onto the front windshield of our vehicle by other passing vehicles, and it is necessary to clean the windshield with the use of windscreen wipers. If the wiper of our vehicle is worn or if there is no water in the wiper bottle, the windscreen of the vehicle cannot be cleaned and the road visibility is minimal, with the increased risk of a collision.

By following the above checks on our vehicle, we are certain to avoid potential risks of our involvement in a road accident and to prevent any inconvenience if we need to carry out such checks and repairs of the vehicle during the winter.