Vehicle Safety, Lights, and Basic Mechanical Checks
What this domain tests
Vehicle-safety questions test the checks a driver can make before a trip and the lights and basic systems that fail most often. In Liberia’s rainy season, tyres, wipers, and lights matter more than ever.
Core rules
- Tyres: check pressure when cold, including the spare. Look for cuts, bulges, and tread below 1.6 mm (2/32 inch). Uneven wear suggests alignment or pressure problems.
- Lights: headlights, brake lights, turn signals, and hazard lights must work. Use low beams at night, in rain, and in fog; high beams reflect back in fog and dazzle others. Hazard lights are for a breakdown or emergency, not for ordinary rain driving or parking.
- Brakes and steering: the pedal should feel firm, not spongy. The vehicle should not pull to one side. A vibrating wheel or a shimmy needs attention.
- Fluids and visibility: engine oil, coolant (check when cold), brake fluid, and windshield washer. Replace worn wipers; keep the windshield clear.
- Under the bonnet: know the battery, coolant, and oil dipstick. Do not open a hot radiator cap.
Worked example
Before a rainy Monrovia commute, you find the wipers smear and one tyre has a bulge on the sidewall. The bulge means the tyre can fail at speed; do not drive on it. Replace it or use the spare, and fix the wipers before moving. A working radio does not matter if you cannot see or steer.
Traps
Checking coolant when the engine is hot; overinflating tyres for economy; driving with a space-saver spare at highway speed; and using hazard lights as a parking permit.