Before Your Road Trip Perform These Car Checks

The summer is a great time to hit the open road and explore the world around you. You can get out of the city and into the country for a day trip or head further down the coast and check out other desirable beach communities. These road trips can be so much fun and give you and your companions who are along for the ride a sense of nostalgia, but they also present some significant risks if you’re not taking care of your vehicle before you hit the road.

A vehicle that is not serviced properly before an extended road trip could put you and your passengers in a situation where you might find yourself injured from a New Haven auto accident that was caused, in part or fully, but a vehicle that wasn’t ready for the trip. So, it is important that before you head out on your exciting road trip that you take a look at the following items on your vehicle and make sure they are in safe working order before you take the first turn onto the Interstate.

1.) Tires. This is the first place where you should put your attention as tires are the only part of your vehicle that actually touches the road. If your tires are not properly inflated you could be putting yourself at risk of getting into an accident and becoming injured. Your tires should be inflated based on the manufacturers suggested pounds per square inch (PSI) for your particular brand of tire. Keep in mind that steamy road temperatures can affect your tire pressure greatly.

2.) Lights and signals. You should always make sure you do a check of your lights, turn and brake signals before you head out on a long road trip. If the vehicles around you do not have a clear understanding of where you’re headed it can lead to significant accidents or injuries. Checking these lighting systems may require that you get a partner to help you test them out, but the added effort you take to make sure you get this right will serve you well along your road trip. Not to mention, if you have a broken brake light or turn signal, you could be sighted by law enforcement and you could have another headache on your hand. Save yourself and make sure you check these out before you hit the road.

3.) Wiper blades. Pop-up thunderstorms are a staple of hot summer days and you never know when you’re going to get caught in the raid. Torrential downpours can be extremely dangerous to drive through and can be made worse by wiper blades that do not work properly. Before you head out you should confirm that your wiper blades are functioning as expected and if they are not you should have them repaired before you hit the road. Remember that even with functioning wiper blades there are some storms in the summer that are severe enough that may require you to pull off the road and wait them out so you can drive safely forward.

There are few things that scream summer more then a great American road trip and taking care of the vehicle you will be driving in for that road trip before you head out will make it so your adventure doesn’t turn into a nightmare. The last thing you want is to get into a New Haven auto accident before you even get too far into your journey and then have to turn around to take care of something you could’ve taken care of long before you even hit the road.

Whether you take care of these items before you hit the road or not, if you get into an accident and become injured you may need to speak with an attorney. Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will review your situation and work with you to protect your long-term interests.