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Work calendar for each driver – when and what should you remember?
(photo Moje Auto)
January – remember about the annual technical inspection
Annual car inspection is the responsibility of every owner of a used car. During such an inspection, the condition of lighting, tires, brakes, the level of emissions of harmful substances and basic safety elements, such as seat belts, are checked. Without a valid technical inspection, you may be fined. Remember that if our car does not meet all the requirements, our registration certificate may be withheld. Check now when you need to do it. It is worth remembering this to avoid various types of unpleasantness. Up-to-date technical tests will guarantee us greater peace of mind and, consequently, greater driving fun. When participating in road traffic, we should remember about our own safety and the safety of other drivers. By ensuring that we travel in a roadworthy car, we contribute to reducing collisions and accidents, i.e. we work to ensure that Polish roads are perceived as safe.
February – check the condition of your windshield wipers
Every driver should pay special attention to safety while driving in winter. Unfortunately, in winter weather conditions are often troublesome for drivers. Even very experienced drivers will make mistakes. However, everyone, without exception, should make every effort to ensure good visibility. Good visibility is one of the basic guarantees of safety. Heavy snowfall or sleet, as well as quickly falling darkness, are the main causes of difficulties that keep drivers awake at night.
Good visibility is primarily guaranteed by efficient wipers. Be sure to check whether your wiper blades are not worn out. If so, you can get new ones at the nearest station. However, it is worth thinking about them in advance and always having one pair in stock. Before purchasing, you can read valuable content available online and choose those that will be most suitable for you. Then go to a good automotive store or order them online. Thanks to this, we will be sure that our safety is ensured by proven, professional equipment.
March – time for spring cleaning
Spring has already arrived for good. We should remember to tidy up not only at home, but also in the car. Wash your car thoroughly, wax the body and clean its interior. Unfortunately, winter is the time of year that has the most invasive impact on our car. It may suffer technically and visually. It is therefore a good idea to reserve some time on a sunny day and thoroughly inspect your car. Washing the car thoroughly will allow you to see if there are any unwanted defects on the body, such as dents, scratches or – oh horror! - ore! The sooner we notice the problem, the greater the chance that we will be able to prevent it before it becomes something more serious and, of course, more expensive to remove. Similarly, you should inspect the interior of the car. Clean it thoroughly, clean the carpets, wash the covers, wash the cockpit and vacuum.
April – change to summer tires
When the average daily temperature reaches above 7 degrees Celsius, it is a sign that it is high time to install summer tires. They are the only part of the car that comes into contact with the road and they ensure our safety on the road. The composition of the rubber compound of summer tires is different from that of winter tires. The material used in summer tires is designed to operate at temperatures above 7 Celsius and guarantees full performance in such conditions. Another important thing is the differences in the tread of winter and summer tires. The division into summer and winter tires was not invented without reason. Driving on summer tires in the spring and summer significantly translates into greater traveling comfort. If the tire tread is dedicated to a certain type of surface, it wears out less in contact with it.
May – time for the first holiday trips. Check the general condition of the car
Before a long journey, the car must be thoroughly checked. We don't want to spoil our trip with an unplanned visit to the mechanic. First of all, let's check the condition of the braking system. If the discs are thin or unevenly worn and the pads are very worn, they should be replaced. It is worth remembering that we replace both pads and discs on both wheels of the same axle at the same time. This is a rule that absolutely must be followed. Efficient brakes are one of the most important things that have a huge impact on safe driving. However, in the spring and summer they are especially important. It gets dark only in the evening and the roads are not narrowed as they are in winter.
In our geographical area, we rarely experience heavy rainfall. All these factors mean that many drivers rightly assess the road conditions as good or very good and drive with greater confidence, which, unfortunately, is often confused with recklessness. The dynamics of traffic is greater than in winter. Therefore, you must always be prepared to perform a quick braking maneuver. When such a situation occurs on the road, the brakes cannot fail us!
June – check the level of car fluids
For drivers driving in summer conditions, fuel consumption is the most important factor. In summer, we usually travel longer distances and even small changes in fuel consumption will have a significant impact on our costs. Make sure that there is an appropriate amount of coolant with the appropriate parameters in the car's cooling system. Additionally, check the oil and windshield washer fluid levels. This is very important because each fluid has different properties, some wear out faster and others slower. No driver should allow any fluid to be below the minimum value indicated on the container into which it is poured.
July – check the condition of the air conditioning
Before going on holiday, you should check the air conditioning to prevent bacteria, fungi and other allergens from entering the cabin, which often cause an unpleasant smell in the cabin. However, remember to set the air conditioning in the car no lower than 7-9 degrees below that outside. This is extremely important. The temperature in a car heated by sunlight may be higher than outside.
If we neglect the air conditioning and it stops working properly, or in occasional cases it is impossible to use it, there is a risk that the driver will faint at the wheel. This may lead to a collision or even a tragic accident. However, if we set the air conditioning to lower the temperature by e.g. 15 degrees than the temperature outside, the health of the driver and his passengers will suffer greatly. The human body is not adapted to such large temperature changes in such a short time. Therefore, when we get out of the car, we may feel bad.
August – check the mandatory car equipment
The basic equipment of the car should include a fire extinguisher and a warning triangle with an approval mark. Failure to do so results in a fine. In Poland, it is not necessary to have a first aid kit in your car, but it is something that may be useful. For the safety of others and yourself, it is worth having it in your car. We never know what will happen to us on the road.
(my car graphics)
September – ensure proper lighting
In autumn, when it gets dark earlier, we should pay attention to the condition of the car's lighting. First of all, make sure that the lamp shades are always clean. This will improve the quality of lighting. Thanks to this, we will be able to see better not only cars, but also pedestrians who are moving on the road due to the lack of a shoulder or sidewalk and who have forgotten about reflective bands. Additionally, do not make sure your lights are set correctly. Poorly adjusted headlights can blind other drivers.
October – change to winter tires!
Winter tires have a different rubber compound than summer tires. Their flexibility at low temperatures is much greater than in summer tires, which allows for better grip on the road. Well-selected tires guarantee our safety. Don't wait until the last minute to do this and don't be surprised by winter! Your safety is at stake.
November – replace windshield washer fluid
Snow, sleet and ice can quickly reduce visibility. Fill the washer fluid reservoir with winter antifreeze. This will definitely improve visibility and driving comfort. We will be able to face unfavorable weather conditions and travel safer. Frosts begin in November. Especially at night, the temperature drops below zero. When we go to the car in the morning, we may find frosted windows. That's why we should equip ourselves with a window defroster and gloves. The preparation will dissolve the frost and remove the residue with a scraper or water squeegee. It is worth doing this operation wearing gloves. Thanks to this, our hands will not get cold, which means that the fingers will retain full mobility. It is not recommended to drive a car with cold hands because it has a negative impact on safety.
December – what's worth having in your car?
What to have in the trunk so that winter doesn't surprise us? Even without leaving home, after a night of rainfall, we may encounter an unpleasant surprise in the form of a buried car. In such a case, an ordinary snow shovel or a brush with soft bristles will be useful, as they will easily remove the accumulated snow. At negative temperatures, it is worth remembering about jumper cables, regardless of whether we have a diesel or gasoline engine - it is always worth carrying them in the trunk.
(my car graphics)
Conclusions
- Every month requires drivers to take care of their car.
- Once a year, you should go for a technical inspection to check the general condition of your car.
- Windshield wipers play a very important role in winter. Drivers should always have one pair of pens on hand.
- With the arrival of spring, the car should be inspected technically and visually. This is a slow way to assess whether the winter weather has had a negative impact on our car.
- In April, it is recommended to change from winter to summer tires.
- May is the beginning of the holiday season, which often involves longer journeys. It is worth checking the condition of the car and getting rid of any faults.
- Every driver is obliged to check the condition of all fluids in the car from time to time.
- July is a hot time. Therefore, you should take care of your air conditioning and learn how to use it properly.
- Each car must have mandatory equipment that is precisely defined by regulations. It is worth checking if we have all the necessary things.
- September is the time when the days are getting shorter, so it is necessary to ensure that your headlights are clean, well-adjusted and in working order.
- When temperatures start to drop below zero, it's a sign that you should change summer tires to winter ones. It is not recommended to delay this moment.
- When we are waiting for winter to come, we must remember to use winter windshield washer fluid so that, regardless of the weather conditions, we always have optimal visibility.
- In December, be sure to buy a brush with soft bristles to remove snow from the body. Remember to clear snow from your car thoroughly, especially the roof, mirrors, windows, headlights and registration plate.
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Kajetan Kajetanowicz – rally driver (Automobilklub Polski), born on March 5, 1979 in Cieszyn, resident of Ustroń; LOTOS Rally Team competitor, three-time European Rally Champion in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and four-time Polish Rally Champion in 2010-2013.
