Vehicle safety, lights, tyres and basic mechanical checks
This domain checks that you can judge whether a vehicle is fit to be driven before you move it, and that you understand the safety equipment you must use. Worn tyres, failed lights and unsecured loads cause a large share of breakdowns and crashes on Comorian roads.
Tyres and brakes
- Legal minimum tread depth is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters of the tread; replace earlier for wet-season roads.
- Check pressures when tyres are cold. Under-inflation overheats the tyre and lengthens stopping distance.
- Fit the same type and size across an axle; never mix radial and cross-ply on one axle.
- Check the spare, jack and wheel brace. The brake pedal should feel firm; a spongy pedal, pulling to one side or a warning light means the vehicle stays parked.
Lights
Side lights for lit streets at night, dipped headlights on unlit roads and in rain or fog, main beam only when no one is ahead or oncoming, dipping immediately when you meet traffic. Fog lights are for fog, heavy snow or blowing dust - not for normal rain, where they dazzle. Test indicators, brake lights and hazard lights with a helper before a long trip.
Fluids and load
Check oil, coolant and brake fluid with the engine cold and the car level; do not overfill. Secure loads: a loose jerrycan or sack in the cabin becomes a missile in a sudden stop. Every occupant wears a seat belt; children use an appropriate restraint.
Worked example
A front tyre reads 1.4 mm at the centre and 2.5 mm at the shoulder. The legal minimum is measured in the central band, so the tyre is illegal and must be replaced, even though the edges look healthy.
Traps that cost marks
Checking oil with the engine running or overfilling it; using fog lights as a style accessory; overloading the roof and then braking late; ignoring a brake warning light because the pedal still works.