As warm as our country is, winter can have its moments in certain provinces. If you live in one of our chillier areas, you’ll know this all too well…for those lucky coast dwellers, be prepared to learn.
Whether you plan to take the family away during the school holidays in July, or are driving instead of flying for business, these tips will make sure that your car (and you!) is ready to roar onto the roads without a hitch.
CHECK THOSE WINDSCREEN WIPERS
This is true for all seasons (especially since summer in South Africa tends to be our rainy season), but it’s incredibly important on long drives that your wipers are ready to swish away anything the weather and the roadside throw at your windscreen.
Make sure that only the edge of your wiper blades touch your windscreen – your wiper blades shouldn’t be any closer than that or they will start to scratch your windscreen. Also, try to only use the wipers to move away rain and liquid – if your windscreen gets excessively muddy then it’s a good idea to stop the car and clean this off with a cloth instead, as there could be small rocks in the mud.
If you are heading to somewhere that is extremely cold, like Johannesburg, then try not use your wiper liquid on your windscreen – as this water can then freeze onto the windscreen and cause it to crack.
ALL LIGHTS MUST WORK
You’ll probably notice from your regular driving if any of your front lights go out, but we don’t always check the brake and reverse lights on the car. Sit in the car and systematically go through each and every light, while asking a friend to check that they come on, are bright and in the right position.
Also, while we’re on this note, make sure that you’re a considerate driver, while being a safe one as well. Make sure that your headlights are high enough to offer adequate coverage of the terrain in front of your while driving, but not too high that they blind the drivers in front of them. Bright lights can be almost as dangerous as no lights when they disorientate other drivers.
KEEP ALL YOUR LEVELS TOPPED UP
Make sure that your petrol tank is full, your coolant and brake fluids are topped up to the correct level and that you have enough water. This is all very important for ensuring the smooth running of the car, and that it won’t be wearing itself down while you drive.
Petrol is an obvious one, but also be sure to do this before checking your tyre pressure – if you want to fill your tyres with air to the fully laden mark, then this detail will add to that.
MAKE SURE YOUR TYRES AREN’T TIRED…
The health of your tyres is incredibly important on a long trip. Take a minute to examine each one for any small punctures and for excessive wear on the tread. The legal limit for road worthiness in South Africa on tyre tread is 1mm, but make sure it’s not under 3mm for safety’s sake.
Look over your spare tyre and replace if necessary – if you end up needing it, it’s got to be ready for a long drive. If your car comes with a smaller biscuit tyre as a spare then you may way to replace it with a full sized spare. Biscuit tyres are limited on speed and distance, you shouldn’t be on them for too long before changing.
BE EMERGENCY READY!
When driving in South Africa, you are required by law to keep an emergency triangle in your car, to use in the case of a breakdown. Other than that you should also have all necessary tools to get your car up and running if nothing major goes wrong, like a jack and a wheel wrench. The standard wheel wrench that comes with most cars has one arm, which can be difficult to lever if you aren’t the strongest person, or the wheel nut is screwed in tightly – so look for a four armed one at your nearest hardware store, it will give you more leverage power in a sticky situation.
Along with tools, you have to know that you can trust the car itself. Make sure that your brakes are up to scratch and the brake pads aren’t worn and then perform an emergency stop as a test. This should tell you a lot about the current working state of your car.
Feeling ready for that road trip? We have some ideas for you on just the places to go.