Preparing Your Car and Route Before a Longer Journey

Preparation starts with the route and the vehicle's condition. Review the journey, allow time for breaks and identify places where you can stop safely. Check the car's maintenance records and arrange professional attention for unresolved warnings or faults before setting off.

Use the owner manual when checking routine items such as tyre pressures and fluid levels. Follow the specified method, including any requirements about temperature or loading. If a check is unfamiliar, ask a workshop to demonstrate it rather than improvising around hot or moving components.

Load the vehicle within its documented limits and secure luggage so that it cannot move freely. Keep the driver's view clear and make sure essential items are accessible without searching while driving. Check the spare-wheel or puncture-repair arrangements supplied with that particular car.

Share the driving plan with your passengers and leave room to change it. Weather, fatigue or a vehicle issue can make a later arrival the better choice. A larger vehicle or a four-wheel-drive badge does not remove the need to drive cautiously and respond to the conditions you actually encounter.