Motorists fail to carry out basic checks before long journeys

With an estimated 18 million cars on the road last bank holiday, Hycote, the UK’s leading car care manufacturer, is urging drivers to carry out basic but vital maintenance checks before getting behind the wheel in an effort to ease the motorway madness and bank holiday bumps.

In new research released today, Hycote found that over half of UK drivers fail to carry out basic maintenance checks on their vehicles before making long distance journeys. With many families utilising the extended break as an opportunity to take a short holiday to popular UK destinations, the result is a huge increase in traffic on the road and therefore more breakdowns over the long weekend.

In an attempt to remedy this, Hycote is urging motorists to take responsibility for their vehicle’s maintenance to ensure their car is roadworthy with five basic tips:

1. Check the tyres for wear, cracks or damage. Check the inflation pressure in all the tyres, including the spare. Under-inflation can make them run hot and increases the risk of a blowout. Correctly inflated tyres will also help with fuel economy.
2. Wiper blades wear down over time and smear the windscreen which causes an obstructed view. Check the thread and replace them at least once a year. Also top up the water bottle with a good screenwash to remove dead insects from the windscreen.
3. Ensure your lights and indicators are working and clean. Apart from being dangerous, it is illegal to drive with faulty or excessively dirty lights.
4. Check your oil level. This is something everyone can do - it's quick and easy and it'll tell you if your engine needs a top up. If the oil is too low, it can cause wear for your engine, and may lead to excessive heat and premature failure, thus an expensive repair bill at the garage.
5. Top up your coolant level to prevent engine overheating, but only do when the engine is cold – this is another thing your vehicle cannot run without, especially in the summer months.

Mark Lyth, managing director of Hycote says: “It’s unsurprising that the warmer weather and long weekend brings an increase in breakdowns and road traffic accidents – especially when the majority of drivers don’t even do the simple checks – like topping up brake fluid, engine coolant, or even window wash! The hot weather can play havoc on your cars, especially brakes, tires and window-screen wipers, so motorists who do a quick health-check before setting off could be saving themselves a huge amount of trouble, and cost, once out on the road.”

A couple of other tips for the warmer weather:
• Wax the body. Adding a protective cover (wax or spray) to the bodywork will help shield the paint from the suns ultraviolet rays and summer smog in urban areas.
• Clean dust off brake pads– brakes work harder in the warm weather and dust can lead to long term braking faults, and consequently an expensive repair bill.

Mark continues: “We take our cars for granted and only really value how important they are when they’re not performing as they should, or are out of action completely. However, if more people carried out simple pre-trip maintenance, the travel nightmare usually witnessed during a bank holiday weekend could be significantly reduced.”

For more information on the Hycote range visit: hycote.co.uk