Tips for Going Away This Summer

Now the summer holidays have arrived, what can seem like a mass exodus of vehicles take to the roads with people looking to get away for a break. A recent estimate is that around 13.2 million cars will be used during holidays in the UK. With that in mind, we at Vasstech have put together a few tips and pointers to help you try and prevent accidents or breakdowns.

Remember to check your oil, brake and clutch fluid regularly. Also make sure you have enough windscreen washer fluid.
Plan enough time in your journey so you can take regular breaks. Try for 15mins every two hours. Also remember to keep hydrated on hot days.
Check your tyres to make sure they are at the correct pressure and the legal tread depth. Currently for cars, light vans and light trailers this is 1.6mm across the central three quarters of the breadth of the tread and around the entire circumference.
Make sure all the dashboard warning lights are working correctly.
If you are towing a caravan, make sure the tyres are not showing any signs of cracking  as they can deteriorate quickly if they have not been used for some time. Make sure all lights, indicators and braking system are in a working condition.
Plan your journey in advance – don’t look at maps while driving.
If you do break down on the motorway, try and get as far over onto the hard shoulder as you can.
Get all passengers out of the car and as far onto the verge as you possible get – Always exiting the vehicle on the side away from traffic. Don’t sit in your car awaiting assistance as they is always the possibility of being hit by another vehicle.
Try and find an emergency phone. This are located fairly frequently along the hard shoulder. This means that help can better pin point your location.
If you do need to call from a mobile, give as much detail as possible when explaining where you have broken down.

If you are unsure on how to check for any of these, give our Northallerton, Darlington or Knaresborough branches a call and we would be happy to help.

Darlington: 01325 285885

Northallerton – 01609 779041

Knaresborough – 01423 867924