Vehicles need periodic maintenance in order to make them function very well and to ensure easy drivability and safe driving experience. To achieve these benefits, driver’s daily maintenance check is inevitable. It is the first step to prevent your car from killing you. Poor maintenance of vehicle such as under inflated tires, engine defect, brake defect and so on will consume more fuel than the vehicle in good conditions; more so, daily maintenance inspections by the drivers help to reduce maintenance cost and to avoid unnecessary failure at the road side, daily vehicle inspections also increase the vehicle safety and reduce the high risk of accidents on our roads. These among others are the reasons why driver’s daily check on the vehicle must be done. However, the driver’s maintenance check can be done in the following ways:
  1. Drivers are supposed to inspecting their vehicles before and after daily operations. And any defect discovered during the inspections that can cause more damage to the vehicle or render it unsafe on the road must be corrected with immediate alacrity.
  2. In order to ensure the safety of road users the following check must be done often or on weekly basis: tire condition and air pressure, any kind of leaks, engine oil level, all belts, all hoses, radiator coolant level, battery fluid level, hydraulic oil level, transmission on level lights / signal, fuel, and windshield water fluid level.
  3. Also on daily basis when the vehicle engine is switch on drivers must also check the following: all gauge brakes before moving, windshield wipers and the horn must be check.
  4. The drivers must also ensure that the interior and the exterior of the vehicle are clean and drivers must also ensure that the vehicle is washed when necessary in order to maintain a good appearance.
It is important to note that, it’s the responsibility of the driver to consult the vehicle owner or the fleet manager (in case if the driver works in a company) on repairs and preventive maintenance of the vehicle, and it is the responsibility of the fleet manager to ensure that all the necessary preventative maintenance are performed on schedule and the vehicles are also serviced in a timely manner when notified. However, all drivers must know how to handle unscheduled emergency repairs. Nevertheless, if your vehicle is properly maintained, you will have no reason to question the reliability of your car and more importantly you will have peace of mind that you are driving a safe and efficient vehicle. A good maintenance of your car is the best way to prevent your car from killing you.