Whether you own a brand new car or an older model doesn’t matter, the safety checks before travelling remain the same.
Be guided by what’s in your vehicle handbook for basic checks but if you have any doubts, get a professional to look at it.
Simple actions such as keeping windows, particularly windscreens, clean to maximise vision could be vital when driving towards on-coming headlights or a low sun.
Check your windscreen wipers and change blades if damaged or more than 12 months old, and top up your windscreen washer bottle and if necessary, clean and re-aim washer jets using a needle.
Research found that tyres – a key factor in vehicle safety – were often neglected with one in five cars on Victoria’s roads found to have at least one tyre that was unroadworthy.
Half the drivers surveyed were also unaware of how to properly check the condition of their tyres.
We cannot stress enough how crucial tyres are to a car’s safety performance as they support almost every function of a vehicle’s motion.
Every time you drive you wear your tyres down but having incorrect tyre pressure will escalate the wear and tear and put you, and your passengers, at risk.
Always check your pressure when your tyres are cold, including the spare tyre. Recommended minimum tyre pressures are listed on a plate inside the driver’s door jamb or glove box.
It’s also important to ensure that you get a good night’s rest before heading off on holidays during this busy period.
Once your car is checked, packed and ready to go, keep in mind that cars won’t be the only things on the road. Extreme drought conditions last summer contributed to a significant increase in the number of drivers colliding with animals on Victorian roads, according to insurance claims data.
The figures show there were 3839 motor insurance claims as a result of crashes involving animals in the past financial year to June 30, a 13 per cent increase on the previous year.
Many of these crashes were the result of animals, particularly kangaroos, which had been forced by the drought to search for food by the roadside or close to urban areas.
According to the data, kangaroos accounted for 72 per cent (2766) of animal collisions last year, which was 17 per cent more than for the previous year, with a repair cost of more than $8 million.
This was followed by dogs at 9 per cent (330), wombats 6 per cent (215) and cats 2 per cent (84).
It is clear from our members claims incidents that the major areas to look out for kangaroos are Heathcote, Bendigo, Seymour and Halls Gap but, as the city expands, also in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, such as South Morang, as they move closer to urban areas in search of food.
Crashing into a medium to large sized kangaroo, can cause not only serious vehicle damage, but also injure the driver and passengers.
Drivers need to look out for animals on our roads at all times, but particularly when driving in country areas at dawn and dusk when they are most active.
Animals can be unpredictable near roads, particularly when they are dazzled by headlights.
The data shows that the number of claims peaks in the spring (1239 claims), with the highest percentage of accidents in October at 11.3 per cent. Claims numbers are at their lowest in winter (809 claims).
Vehicles damaged in animal collisions can also cost a significant amount to repair with an average claim costing more than $3000.
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