Safety and Your Vehicle
This domain covers the machine you drive: whether it is legal, roadworthy and loaded safely, and whether you would notice a fault before it becomes a breakdown or a collision. Questions mix routine checks, warning lights, tyre law and driving in a way that protects the vehicle.
Checks that matter
Tyres are the highest-value topic. The legal minimum tread is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre's width and around its whole circumference, and pressures should be set to the manufacturer's figures with the tyres cold. Look for cuts, bulges and objects trapped in the tread, and check the spare. Under-inflation overheats the tyre, reduces grip, burns more fuel and can lead to a blowout. Also check lights and indicators (including brake lights), the windscreen for chips, wipers and washer fluid, oil on the dipstick with the engine off and the car level, and coolant only when the engine is cold - never remove the cap while it is hot.
Warning lights, belts and loads
Treat a red warning light as stop now and an amber one as check soon. Adjust the head restraint so its top is level with the top of your head; it is there to reduce whiplash. The driver is responsible for seat belts on passengers under 14. Loads must be secure and must not block your view, and you should not exceed the roof or payload limits.
Protecting the vehicle and the environment
Harsh acceleration and late braking waste fuel and wear out brakes; plan further ahead and use the highest sensible gear. Do not coast downhill with the clutch down or in neutral - you lose engine braking. On steep descents, select a lower gear and let the engine hold the car. Parking on Gibraltar's steep streets: handbrake firmly on, leave it in gear, and turn the wheels so that if it rolled it would run into the kerb rather than the road.
Worked example
You feel a vibration through the steering wheel at speed and the front tyres look worn more on one edge. Reasoning: suspect pressure, wheel balance or worn suspension rather than turning the radio up. Check pressures cold, inspect tread across the whole width, and get the car looked at - a tyre that fails at speed is not a repair you can postpone.
Traps that cost marks
- Checking tyre pressures after a run, when hot tyres read high.
- Ignoring a red warning light and driving home.
- Overloading or leaving a load unsecured.
- Assuming you would notice a failed brake light - check against a wall or reflection.