Making sure your car is safe to drive is a legal requirement before going out on the road. Thus, key safety checks should always be carried out before you head out, and we’ve outlined some of the most imperative of these vehicle safety check options as follows to help you decide whether your car is safe.

How Can I Decide Whether My Vehicle is Safe to Drive? 

Checking your vehicle’s safe to drive is a hugely important goal, but this isn’t always straightforward. Indeed, there’s a lot you’ll need to check first, but the following tips may help protect you.

Run a Car History Check

Car history checks are a must for any new car owner or prospective buyer. A car check offers an ideal way for individuals to check the past MOT, write-off, stolen status, and mileage history of a car (among other information). In turn, this can help you ensure the car hasn’t been involved in any nasty surprises during its history.

Check the Tyres

One of the first things you should always look at before taking your vehicle onto the road is the tyres. Indeed, checking these before you get into your car can help you ensure that the tyres are in good condition and haven’t got any punctures or tears. Always check the tread depth regularly as well to ensure these stays comfortably within the legal requirements. 

Look at the Level of Fuel, Coolant, and Oil Before Going

Simply running out of fuel can be a very common cause of car break downs. This is even more frustrating when you consider how avoidable this can be!

As such, make a habit of checking your fuel levels before you drive off. This simple change allows you the chance to plan if you need to suddenly detour for a fuel refill. The same also applies for coolant and oil levels, which play a vital role in keeping the engine running safely.

Test the Lights

Your lights can break surprisingly easily – but this is dangerous if you find yourself caught out in a situation where you can’t see properly. As such, before you drive off, consider testing the lights (especially if you know you will be driving in the dark). Testing the brake lights is also crucial here to ensure your vehicle remains legal.

Ensure the Brakes are Responsive

If your brakes aren’t kicking straight into action, you could be putting yourself in danger. As such, always ensure the brakes are fully responsive to prevent you from getting caught out without a means of stopping.

Don’t Take the Risk

Ensuring that your car is safe to drive is hugely important before taking it out on the road. Fortunately, running a MOT check is one of the quickest and easiest ways to ensure your car hasn’t had severe problems in the past. After all, such issues could potentially make it unsafe to drive. However, you’ll still need to get regular MOTs and the like to ensure your car remains safe, going forwards.