Vehicle safety should always be a priority. About 71% of respondents to a survey report that their vehicle is an essential part of their lifestyle. If your vehicle is an important part of your lifestyle, there are steps you can take to ensure the safety of your vehicle. Here are five ways to ensure that your vehicle is safe on the road.
Check for Recalls from Your Manufacturer
If you get a letter from your vehicle manufacturer, be sure to open it and read the contents. Sometimes, recall notices get ignored because the notice seems like an advertisement. Sometimes, the recall notice comes in a postcard format. If you have moved recently, be sure that you regularly check online to see if there are any recalls for your vehicle. Why? Many recalls are for safety issues.
Vehicle manufacturers issued recalls overseas but never issued those recalls in the United States, according to The New York Times. You must keep up with your vehicle manufacturer’s recalls. In most cases, a recall has something to do with a safety issue.
Check Exterior Lighting
If your lifestyle includes using your vehicle after dark, be sure that you keep up with your exterior lighting. Check your lighting every month to ensure that all the lights are functioning properly. Lighting is important not only for you to see what is on the road but also so that other drivers can see you. Headlights will fog up with age and become cloudy, which could impact visibility. If you notice that your headlights are foggy, you can do DIY repairs or take your vehicle to a shop for repairs.
Get Your Vehicle Maintenance Done
Several parts of your vehicle need to be replaced fairly regularly to keep your vehicle safe. Tires, brakes, windshield wipers, and light bulbs are some of the things that will need to be checked and replaced when worn. It can’t be expressed enough that good tires and brakes are a must for the safe operation of any vehicle. According to the National Safety Institute, a case of whiplash can happen during a crash at 20mph. It can take weeks to heal from whiplash; sometimes, it takes months or even years to recover fully. Keep your brakes and tires in good shape. Every time you have your oil changed, have your tires and brakes inspected. Also, have windshield wiper blades been inspected? Replace what needs to be replaced to ensure the safety of your vehicle.
Check Vehicle Window Glass
Small chips and cracks in your vehicle glass can become much bigger problems if you are in an auto accident. Window glass in your vehicle is integral to your vehicle’s design. When the glass has been compromised, even with a small crack, the safety of your vehicle is compromised. Have repairs to your vehicle’s glass done immediately to reduce the risk of a bigger problem. Inspect your vehicle regularly to ensure that there are no chips or cracks that need attention.
Make Sure Your Horn Works
Some people will drive for miles and miles and never have to use their horns, but then they come across a driver that does not see them. A horn is a valuable tool in announcing your presence to distracted drivers that may not be paying attention. Check your horn periodically to ensure that it works.
On average, there are 5 million car accidents yearly. Many of those accidents are related to equipment failure. Car accidents cause more personal injuries than any other accidents, including scaffolding accidents, the most common accidents in construction. American employers pay about $90 million a year because of scaffolding accidents and about $1.2 billion because of car accidents.
Do your part to protect your lifestyle and regularly check your vehicle’s safety features. Get professional repair help when you need it. Do your own research and don’t delay the process before it’s too late.