What to check before going on a long journey by car?

When heading out on a long journey, there are a few things that you may need to check before hitting the road.

Windscreen wiper fluid

Most people may not think this is important but when driving on the motorway, your windscreen is likely to get very dirty. You can buy 2.5 litre windscreen wiper fluid for as little as £3.49. Most people opt to just add water or mix with washing up liquid instead of buying screen wash but the difference when cleaning your windscreen is easy to see. When driving it's very important to be able to see clearly ahead without any dirt on the windscreen.

Windscreen wipers

Regularly check your windscreen wiper blades for wear and tear. The last thing you want on a long journey are squeaky wiper blades. Wiper blades are cheap and easy to fit. When buying, make sure you have the correct size to fit the make and model of your car.

Car light maintenance

Checking that your car lights are working correctly is also very important. If you get pulled over by the police, you can receive a fine. The easiest and most effective way is to switch on your lights and also your hazard lights and to walk round the car to make sure all lights are working properly. This method is probably most effective at dusk when the sun is about to set. Remember to put your car in reverse mode as well to check the reverse lights are okay too.

Always carry an emergency kit in the boot of your car. This should contain:

• Water (it doesn’t expire and will last a long time)
• Food (chocolate and crisps)
• Blanket – it can get very cold at night and you never know when you might need it.
• Jump start leads – there may come a time when you may need to help someone or get somebody else to help you
• Warning triangle – if you need to pull over because of an accident or a fault in your car, you need to place an orange warning triangle at least 50 metres away from the vehicle.

A torch will also come in handy especially if you have to check under the bonnet of the car when it's dark.