Let’s talk a little about car parts, most people now just want to get in their car, truck, or motorcycle and drive off. Fill it up with gas when it needs it and continue to drive. Some people worry about the basics tires, brakes, and maybe when the next oil change is due. Then there are the few that are intimately involved with their rides. They look at every nook and cranny in the engine, the interior, and the exterior, to make their ride more comfortable, safer, and better looking.

I’m going to go somewhere in the middle of the two extremes for this conversation. I was a professional school bus driver for 15 years, so I learned the value of a pre-trip and post-trip check of my bus. I had to check the engine, the outside, including underneath, inside the controls, seats, lights, and all the safety equipment. Morning and afternoon these checks were made to ensure the safety of myself and the students that I transported. This has carried over to checks of my vehicles. To be fair and above board, it doesn’t happen every time I get in my rig, but I do try to check everything at least once a week. Now that I am not driving every day and sometimes, I only drive once in two weeks it’s more important to check than ever before.

Lights are very important and are not used nearly enough by most drivers. I drive with lights on all the time and not just with the automatic drive lights because that is only on the front of the vehicle, not the back. Early morning driving and driving at duck and even driving in fog you need to have your lights on for sure. It’s surprising to me how many cars come out of nowhere in the fog, especially white cars, kind of scary and the early stages of road rage.

Items to think about when you’re doing your pre trips, fluid leaks, hose connections, fan belts, battery, lights, blinkers, flashers, tires, brakes, reverse lights, and even dings on the windshield that could extend into cracks that make the windshield unsafe. This is just the outside of the vehicle. On the inside, you want to check your steering, horn, and all your controls including the radio so you’re not fiddling with it when you first start driving.

During the winter after it snows, and the windshield is frozen over make sure you defrost the windshield normally by letting the car warm up and using the defroster. It’s too bad that the windshield doesn’t come with the defrost heaters like the rear window on most newer models come with. That would make it a lot simpler. Remember safety first not only for yourself and your passengers but for the other drivers out there. Brush the snow off your vehicle before you take off, so whoever is behind you doesn’t get a whiteout him them in their windshield.

While driving your life is very dependent on your vehicle so take care of it and it will take care of you. That’s all for today so take care God Bless and have a wonderful day.