As a vehicle owner, you have a duty to ensure that your car, truck, or bike remains in a roadworthy condition. In addition to enhancing the performance of your vehicle, regular maintenance can also reduce the risk of an accident occurring.
While experienced car accident lawyers can always help you to take legal action after an accident, avoiding a collision is always a top priority; find out more at https://www.tomkileylaw.com/car-accident-attorneys/. To find out why regular maintenance is such an important element of road safety, take a look at these common issues that can lead to unnecessary crashes:
1. Worn Tires
As tires are used, they will gradually show signs of wear and tear and need to be replaced. The tire’s tread depth is a good indicator to determine when replacements are required, although cracks or damage to the tires should also be noted.
If tires are used when they are worn or ‘bald’, they are unable to grip the surface of the road effectively. This increases the likelihood of you losing control of the vehicle and, therefore, the risk of an accident occurring.
Every state has its own regulations when it comes to tire tread depth, so it’s important to check what the local laws are. In Massachusetts, for example, the tread depth of all tires must be a minimum of 2/32”.
2. Broken Bulbs
The headlights and rear lights on your vehicle are designed to maximize road safety and ensure your car, truck or bike can be seen at all times. Additionally, indicator lights tell other road users what your intentions are and help to prevent collisions.
However, many drivers forget to check that their lights are working on a regular basis. This means they may be unaware that a light isn’t functioning properly when they take to the road. As a result, other road users are unable to determine when the vehicle is going to turn or change lanes, and collisions may occur.
Fortunately, you can prevent this from happening by checking your lights are working at regular intervals and changing the bulbs when necessary.
3. Lack of Brake Fluid
The braking system on any vehicle is a critical form of accident prevention. If your brakes fail, you’ll be unable to avoid crashing into someone or something, which means a dangerous incident is likely to occur.
Despite this, many vehicle owners are unsure how to perform simple brake maintenance. Do you know how often the brake fluid in your vehicle should be checked or topped up, for example? If not, it’s essential to find out. Of course, if you don’t feel confident performing these checks yourself, you can take your vehicle into a garage at any time and have a professional do it for you.
Keeping Your Vehicle Safe
Making sure your vehicle is well-maintained protects your investment and keeps your car, truck, or bike running smoothly but it also makes you safer road user. While you can’t always prevent accidents from happening, keeping your vehicle properly maintained can certainly help you to stay safe on the road.
