The holidays are coming, along with the shorter days and chillier nights – and this means that it’s time to be sure that your car is in tip-top legal condition for all your holiday travelling, whether you are visiting family, doing some city centre Christmas shopping or just going for a drive to check out all the colourful house decorations in your neighbourhood. If your certificate is almost expired, book your MOT in Pontefract at Reg Greenwood promptly to make sure that the only surprises you get this season are pleasant ones! Let’s take a look at some things you should look out for.
Steering Right
The steering system is what gets you about safely and helps you to park properly too. Make sure your steering is in good shape by testing out the amount of play it offers and ensure it falls within the legally allowed range. Pay attention to how your car corners, too – problems with the steering will begin to make themselves felt when turning more than on the straight.
Check Tread Depth
Your tread pattern is what keeps your car clinging to the road in wet or slippery conditions, so it is important that you have not only the legal 1.6mm of tread over at least three-quarters of the tyre’s contact surface, but – for preference and greater safety – aim for 3mm of depth over the entire contact surface.
Maintain Lights
Lights are the most common MOT fail, and this is not so surprising: your car has a lot of lights in it! Test them all, with the help of a friend or mechanic, turning them on and off, making sure paired lights are evenly illuminated and checking that your dashboard lights are all in good working order and not warning of any issues at the time of your test.
Inflation Levels
Your tyre pressure must legally always be within the optimum range recommended by the car and tyre manufacturers. If your tyres are under- or over-inflated, this can impact on the way your car responds to the controls, as well as being much less efficient on the roads – hence the reason for making inflation part of the MOT test back in 2018!
Test Your Brakes
Just as with steering and light, the brakes of a vehicle were part of the original three-item MOT checklist, all the way back in 1960. This is because the ability to safely slow down and stop your car on command is absolutely essential for your safety on the road – as well as that of other drivers, passengers and even pedestrians.
The MOT was introduced as a measure to keep drivers and other road users as safe and sound as possible while using the UK’s road network – make sure you do your small part to prevent accidents and ensure that everyone has a merry and happy festive season!
Disclosure: This is a featured post.