With the British Summer season officially only a month away, millions of us are going to be taking to the road either home or abroad for road trips, days out and holidays and in order to make sure that we all stay safe whilst we travel, there are a number of checks that we should all be making before setting off.

Window Wipers: With summer comes dust and bugs, both of which can smear up your windscreen and cause visibility issues when driving. Making sure that your window wiper blades have no cracks in them and that your washer fluid level is topped up are essential parts of summer driving. It’s also a great idea to add some screen wash to your fluid too to help to clear the more stubborn insects and also aids against smear marks which can catch the sun.

Oil Levels and Coolant: These should both be checked before any long journey; however it is important to ensure that your coolant is topped up before you head out in summer. Traffic jams on hot days play havoc with engines and it is never fun sitting at the side of the road whilst it cools down again. As an extra precaution and if you are travelling abroad to a hotter country, you should also check that your cooling fan is working. Let your engine tick over until it heats up and you should hear your fan start. If not, replace it before you head off.

Tyres, spares and tools: Again, something that should be checked before heading out on any journey; your tyres. Both tread depth and pressure are important for correct fuel consumption, breaking distance and to prevent against blow outs so make sure that you stop by a garage and get it checked. Also, check your spare tyre for the same things and ensure that you have all the tools you may need in order to change it if you need too. Nothing worse than being stranded because you forgot your jack!

Auto Lighting: Checking they all work correctly is very important. Headlights, indicators, break lights and even your number plate lights should all be checked and if needed, replaced before you leave home. Another thing to remember is if you are driving in another country, you will need to buy and fit headlamp converters if driving on the other side of the road.

Aircon: Not vital for safety, but definitely an essential comfort requirement; making sure that your aircon is working efficiently and is fully topped up could be a life saver on long, hot journeys. We can check this for you at our workshop, so make sure that you book in and we will give it a check over.

Driving abroad: Driving in a different country is not the same as driving here in the UK, not only because of the different side of the road, but also each country will have its own set of rules and laws that you will need to abide by whilst you are there.

Remember, a lot of European countries use kilometres rather than miles on their speed signs and it is regulatory for you to have certain breakdown equipment in your car, such as a high vis jacket and a reflective warning triangle in your vehicle at all times. Protect yourself by checking up on the rules and laws of the country that you will be driving in before you go.

Here at Kings Lynn Auto Electricals, we can help you make sure that your car is summer road ready from headlamp to exhaust pipe, with our workshop services available to book now and our shop stocking replacement parts as well.

Check out our online shop here or call our team today on 01553 765211 to book an appointment or to talk to our knowledgeable team.