Can Car Maintenance Help Prevent Accidents?

Car accidents can be caused by any number of factors and circumstances. But how can you help to avoid them?

This article aims to highlight how thorough, ongoing, car maintenance can improve safety and lessen a driver’s chance of being in a road traffic accident and needing vehicle repair.

How can accidents happen?

Unfortunately, there are many accidents on UK roads, ranging in severity and scale. The reasons for these can also vary; driver error and/or extreme weather conditions – like snow, ice and heavy rain – to name a few. But faulty or defective parts of vehicles can also have a tangible impact on the ability of drivers, as well as their ability to avoid accidents in time.

How can car maintenance help keep you and your car safe?

Regular maintenance and supervision of your car can ensure it is in optimum condition for driving and provide you with the tools to help avoid accidents on the road.

An annual MOT is, of course, essential and required by law. However, by also conducting regular services (most cars will even remind you when one is due) this allows any defects to be picked up sooner, and rectified quicker.

But there are other things you can do to help this cause:

• Check your mirrors – When you’re about to set off on a journey, make sure your mirrors are situated correctly to avoid unnecessary blind spots. Prior to jumping into the car, check your wing mirrors and make sure there’s no damage.
• Tyres – A quick check of your tyre integrity before setting off will ensure any abnormalities will be spotted before they can cause problems. Look out for cuts, tears or bulges, and make sure there are no stones or nails in the tyres, as well as checking for any worn down tread depth as indicators. You could also check tyre pressure to ensure they are at the right level to avoid loss of grip.
• Brakes – By testing your brakes with a quick reverse and move forward motion three times, you will be able to make sure your brakes are in working order before setting off. This is low-risk and means, should you feel a difference in your brakes, you can get it checked out before putting yourself in a high-risk scenario at speed.
• Steering – If you feel anything off about your steering in the early stages of your journey, you should get it checked by a mechanic who can advise you on next steps.
• Lights – Particularly on evening trips, check your lights are working correctly prior to setting off. Also, ensure your indicators are working too as they are vital when informing other motorists of your intentions on the road before you carry out the action.

What should you do if you are involved in a road traffic accident?

If you are involved in a road traffic accident (RTA), it is important, in the immediate aftermath, to ensure your safety. Move to a safe space, if you are able, where you can call the relevant emergency services, who can help secure the accident site and deal with traffic flows which will be affected.

The next step is to seek out the insurance details of the third party; name, contact information, car registration details and insurance provider. This is an important step in relation to dealing with the fall-out following an RTA.

The next step, for a helping hand and support after a non-fault accident, is to call Winns.

Call Winns now

Why should you call Winns?

If you call Winns to start your claim, you are receiving the help, support and guidance of a dedicated team of expert advisors who specialise in personal injury and vehicle damage claims. Our team will get you the help you need, whether that is legal advice, car recovery, storage, repair and replacement and/or arrangement of medical treatment should it be required.

Winns will take the stress and hassle of dealing with multiple agencies away from you, allowing full focus on recovering from your accident so you can get back to a sense of normality as quickly as possible.

Calls Winns today and find out if, and how, our team can help you from the first call.

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