Planning a trip to Wales, Cornwall, or the Lake District, is your car road-trip ready? Don’t let a breakdown stop you and your family from going away; make sure your car is ready for a long journey.

Preparation Is Key

UK-based holidays have seen a sharp rise in popularity since 2020, and they don’t show any signs of slowing down. Being able to take your car and make it to your holiday in your own time can be a blessing, but having a breakdown on a country road in the middle of nowhere can ruin your holiday, as well as put you and your family in danger.

The best way to get ready for a safe journey is to check that everything in your car is working as it should be. To help with this, we’ve created a list of checks for you:

Check Your Fluid Levels

It takes upwards of four hours to drive from Stockport to Devon (that’s without taking any breaks), which means over four hours of your car using up coolant, fuel, and even windscreen fluid. You should always be sure to check your fluid levels before any long journey, but especially before a journey where you might find it difficult to reach a garage when you’re there.

Before setting off, you should check the levels for and, if necessary, top up:

• Engine oil – to prevent engine damage or breakdown
• Coolant – to minimise the risk of overheating or cooling system fault
• Brake fluid – to allow the hydraulic system to operate correctly
• Windscreen fluid – to maintain visibility in all driving conditions

Get Your Car Road-Trip Ready & Inspect Your Tyres

Tyre-related issues are the second highest reason for requesting breakdown assistance, according to the AA’s 2023 data. It takes less than ten minutes to inspect your tyres before you set off, but a flat tyre could take hours to fix, not to mention that a flat tyre on a motorway could be deadly.

Before you set off for your holiday, walk around your car and inspect your tyres. You can check the tread depth using the 20p trick; where you place a 20p in the groves of your tyre and, if the outer border of the 20p is still visible, your tyres are too worn to drive. You should also be checking the tyre pressure to make sure that they aren’t under-inflated (your vehicle manual will tell you how to do this properly for your specific car) as well as looking out for any visible signs of damage to the tyres such as cuts, punctures or bulges.

Prepare an Emergency Kit

This may seem alarmist, but just like home insurance, it’s better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. In particular, if you are driving somewhere more remote like the Scottish highlands or to a camping ground, an emergency kit can be extremely useful if you’re in an accident or have a breakdown.

The Red Cross has a list of items that you should include in a car emergency kit:

• A paper map (even better if you can bring a map of where you’re going as well)
• A first aid kit
• Blankets and warm clothes
• A battery-operated torch
• A battery-operated radio
• Spare batteries
• Jump leads
• An ice scraper and de-icer
• A snow shovel

You can buy pre-packed vehicle emergency kits online or from some garages or stores, but you should always check these first to make sure they include everything that you might need.

Come in for a Pre-Trip Inspection

It’s a good idea to test your car battery before a long journey, but this can be difficult to do yourself. If you notice that your car has been starting slowly or the headlights are more dim than usual, this can indicate a weak battery and you should make sure you get this checked. Our professional mechanics can test your battery in no time, giving you reassurance before your trip.

We can also perform a health check on your car, which includes checking the brakes, fluid levels, belts, and more. This gives you peace of mind before your trip and can potentially save you money by spotting issues with your car before they turn into a breakdown.

Whether you come in for an inspection or not, don’t let car troubles ruin your staycation. Make sure that you check your vehicle and are fully prepared for your journey, and if you would feel better having a professional conduct those checks for you, give us a call to book in for a vehicle health check now.