Is my car roadworthy? Take a look at our handy checklist.
Castle Vehicle Servicing
Quality business vehicle servicing and repairs. Customer satisfaction is our priority
When it comes to driving in the UK, it is a legal requirement to ensure that your vehicle is always ‘roadworthy’; in a safe condition to drive. Even with a valid MOT certificate, your vehicle could still be deemed unsafe, which could mean that you are inadvertently breaking the law or worse still, lead to an accident.
According to the Government guidelines:
“You can be fined up to ￡2,500, be banned from driving and get 3 penalty points for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition.
Is my car safe to drive?
So how do we define safe? To make life easy, our expert technicians at Castle Vehicle Servicing have compiled this handy checklist to ensure that your car is fit for the journey.
Before you set out on any journey, it is your legal duty to perform the following safety checks on your vehicle:
Windscreen, windows and mirrors
You must ensure that they are clean and in good condition i.e. free from any chips, dirty, or ice and anything that would impede visibility.
Lights
All of the lights on your car must be in working order. This includes full and dipped-beam headlights, rear, and sidelights, plus the brake and hazard lights.
Brakes
Your brakes must be in proper working order. You risk endangering yourself, your passengers, and other drivers without proper brake care. Being able to recognise the signs of a failing brake system can help prevent costly repairs and ensure your vehicle remains safe on the road.
Number plates
Your number plates have to be clean, legible and displayed correctly. Failure to do so can result in fines of up to ￡1,000 and could mean you fail your MOT.
Exhaust and emissions
Visually inspect your exhaust to look for any damage or excess smoke.
领英推荐
Windscreen wipers
Your working windscreen wipers must be working correctly and you should check that the blades are not blunt
Tyres
Check the condition of your tyres. They must have the correct tread depth and be free of cuts and/ or any defects
?Depending on the type of vehicle they must be a certain depth:
?“ cars, light vans and light trailers – 1.6 millimetres (mm)
motorcycles, large vehicles and passenger-carrying vehicles – 1mm
Mopeds only need to have visible tread.
There must be tread across the middle three-quarters and around the entire tyre “
Routine checks and servicing
Whilst all makes and models of car and van may vary from one to the next, referring to your vehicle’s handbook will tell you how often to check the following:
As technology in our vehicles advances, most cars are equipped with a computer that will alert you to when your next service is due. Keeping up to date with these important health checks for your car will ensure that it continues to perform as its manufacturer first intended and will meet these ‘roadworthy’ expectations.
Not up to scratch?
?Anything you are unsure about? Perhaps you’ve run through the checklist and highlighted something you cannot resolve on your own? To ensure your car is safe to drive, we would always advise you to book your vehicle in with us for a closer inspection.