Reducing the Risks

Posted on Feb 25, 2015


We get in our car whenever we need to head off on a journey and expect them to be reliable and fully operational. We often pay a minimal amount of attention to their maintenance until something goes wrong and then we realise how much we really need our car.

To ensure that we minimise the occasions when things don’t go to plan, we need to find the time for regular maintenance tasks on our vehicles. This is the only way to help them remain fully functional and reduce the risk of something going wrong. Some of these tasks can be carried out at home, such as keeping the car clean and checking oil and water levels.

Obviously, we also need to keep our vehicles topped up with fuel. Every year rescue services are called out to thousands of motorists because their fuel tank is empty. In addition, around 150,000 call outs are for cars that have been accidently filled up with the wrong type of fuel. The fuel has to be drained and flushed out to ensure it doesn’t damage the vehicle. Make sure that you have more than sufficient fuel before you start any journey and check you have the right pump in your hand before topping up.

Annual MOT

Some car maintenance needs to be undertaken by a specialist. This includes the annual MOT (Ministry of Transport) test which applies to any car over 3 years old. The test must be carried out by a garage that is authorised as a VOSA vehicle testing station and it is the responsibility of the car owner to ensure that the vehicle is retested prior to the previous MOT certificate running out.

An MOT is a thorough check of the car to essentially ensure that they are safe to be on the road and that they are within permitted EU emission levels. An MOT will check the car for corrosion, damage and wear. This involves ensuring all working parts including windscreen wipers, steering and pedals are in order. It also means that the lights, mirrors and windscreens are checked to ensure full visibility, tyre treads are checked to ensure they have sufficient grip on the road and the fluid levels in the car are sufficient.

If any part of the car isn’t up to scratch, it won’t pass the MOT, however the garage will advise on the work that can be done to bring it within the safe and compliant levels. If the garage undertakes the work, the car can be retested. Once it has passed the MOT, the motorist will be issued with an MOT certificate and this is also recorded on a national database.

It may be a little inconvenient to hand your car over to the garage for the day, so the MOT can be carried out. However, this annual service will help to increase the duration of your vehicle, reduce the risks associated with driving, reduce the risk of an unplanned breakdown and improve the safety of the driver and passengers.

If you are looking for an approved garage in Buckinghamshire to undertake your next MOT, Holmer Green Service Centre https://holmergreen-servicecentre.co.uk/ has a team of experienced mechanics who are committed to ensuring you are safe on the road.