Maintaining your car

It is essential that you look after your car and keep it in good condition. Not only is this paramount for your safety and that of other road users, but also it means that the longevity of your car is helped and in turn driving a well maintained car will be good for the environment too.

When they pass their test, many people forget to do anything with their car save fill it with petrol - and some people even forget to do that as they are simply used to having a car that is full of petrol all the time from their driving lessons!

You should check the tyre pressure on a regular basis, if the tyre is deflated slightly then this increases fuel consumption so costs money and is bad for the environment.

If there is unnecessary weight in the car then it is also a good idea to remove this to reduce fuel consumption - don't lug lots of heavy stuff about in the boot all the time just because you cannot get around to removing it!

Remember that things like air conditioning increase the usage of fuel by quite a hefty amount, so again only use this when it is necessary rather than simply turning it on because it is there.

Of course there are legal checks that are mandatory for cars of a certain age such as the MOT and these will check things like the engine being suitable and tuned correctly, which in turn ensures that the car isn't spluttering out nasty chemicals all the time. But overall be sure to check that you car is in good condition regularly and take good care of it - it is an investment just like any other.

Related Articles...

driving theory test
Taking the theory test if you don't speak English
Not everyone who takes the Driving Theory Test will be confident enough in their ability to speak and understand English to take the test. Whilst some people in Wales will want to take the test in...

Driving and mobile phones
Some people are confused about the rules about using a mobile whilst driving, whilst others know the rules and break them. You might see other people driving with a phone to their ear but you...

Understanding illuminated signals on motorways
The location of the signs and signals that you see on motorway itself tells you some information: who it applies to. Signs at the edge of the road will apply to all drivers, whilst those that...

When to use hazard warning lamps
Hazard warning lamps, are by their nature, lamps that you should not use routinely. However it is important to know when is the correct time to use them, and how to switch them on. They are...

Typical brake faults outlined
The brakes are a mechanical object and so it is possible that they will develop problems and not function the way that they should be. This is clearly very dangerous because brakes are one of the...

Vehicles that cannot be used for a practical test
The vast majority of drivers will of course use the vehicle of their instructor or driving school when they take their practical test and so will not need to worry about the vehicle. However...

What to do at a box junction
The box junction is quite common but despite this there are a whole wide range of ways in which different drivers interpret what they are supposed to do at them so you will see different behaviours...

What causes accidents: junctions
An alarmingly high proportion of accidents happen in and around junctions. This is because of the combination of busy roads, traffic that can be nose to tail and people crossing all sorts of...

Practical Driving Test
There is an online booking system available for a practical driving test which you can access from the DirectGov website. The web address to do this is: ...

Mock Driving Theory
On our Mock Driving Theory page you can practice no fewer than fifteen different mock tests. Each of them...


Back to home page of driving theory test questions