The essentials in car maintenance all young drivers should know

With all the excitement of finally getting out on the road, a nationwide study has revealed that many other aspects of driving can quickly be forgotten by young drivers.

According to Select Car Leasing, this is especially the case when it comes to car maintenance and legal motoring knowledge – aspects that can potentially produce huge repair bills and hefty fines.

The study also notes that many young drivers – those aged 18-24 – lack sufficient savings in order to be able to cover these outlays, meaning they could be forced off the road no sooner than they are on it.

From the research, it is clear that many young drivers, as well as those that have only a limited amount of driving experience, do not know how to successfully maintain their vehicle and to check for any issues.

A failure to check the treads on tyres, for example, could see a vehicle taken off the road and a driver fined – yet that was only one of a number of issues cited where a lack of knowledge was evident.

Checking the tyres

Drivers can be fined up to £3,000 if the tyres do not have the required legal thread depth, yet nearly half of young drivers admitted to not knowing how to check.

Having the right tyre pressure is also essential – both for preventing accidents and overheating. A third of 18-24 year-old drivers said they lacked knowledge of how to properly measure it on their car.

Windscreen wipers

A small part of a car in the bigger picture, but a failure to maintain the windscreen wipers can have horrendous consequences, especially in poor weather conditions.

The wiper blades need to be kept clean and in good condition, or it could result in a scratched windscreen – a repair that is significantly more costly than replacing a defunct wiper.

Brake pads

Failing to maintain the brake pads on a vehicle dramatically increases the likelihood of having an accident, yet fewer than three in ten young drivers said they knew how to check these.

Not checking also puts others on the road at risk, so it’s wise to brush up on your knowledge if you’re unsure.

Been involved in an accident? Then what?

The majority of young drivers quizzed for the research said their immediate thought after having an accident would be to contact their parents or another family member, rather than an emergency number such as 999 or 101.

It’s always best to contact the emergency services first, before then speaking to other parties such as family members, insurers and recovery services.

Why enhancing maintenance knowledge is important

A failure to carry out basic checks could invalidate any insurance you have, while the potential fines could negate any savings you have been able to make.

One cost saving option could be car excess insurance. By setting the excess on your policy higher, you can bring costs down. That higher excess can then be covered by car hire excess insurance, allowing you to save overall.

You should note, that you would need to pay the excess amount should you need to claim, before then claiming it back via the policy, so you would need the finances available in order to do so.

Date Created: 03/06/2019