Vehicle Equipment, Safety Inspection, and Maintenance
Inspection essentials
A daily pre-trip check covers tires (pressure and tread), lights (headlights, brake, turn, hazards), mirrors, horn, wipers and washer fluid, seat belts, brake feel, and dual-control instructor brake function. Know the legal minimum tread depth for passenger tires (1/32 inch) versus the safer 4/32-inch recommendation for wet weather, and that pressure is checked cold. Fluid checks include engine oil, coolant (never open a hot radiator), brake fluid, and washer fluid. Warning lights matter: an illuminated brake, ABS, or temperature light means stop or service, not "drive and watch."
Traps
Questions blur the line between legal minimums and safe practice, so read carefully. Others confuse equipment roles: the instructor brake is required in training vehicles, TPMS is not a substitute for a gauge, and daytime running lights are not headlights. Registration, insurance, and plate display issues belong here too, since a training car must be legally equipped and documented before a lesson begins.
Rule of thumb
"Walk, lights, tires, controls, paperwork." Walk around the car, check all lights, check tires, test controls including the instructor brake, and verify registration and insurance. If any item fails, the lesson does not start.