7 essential car checks to make before a long journey

Essential vehicle safety checks for long drives

TL;DR: What are the essential car checks before a long road trip?

Before a long journey, check your tyres, battery, wiper blades, lights and fluids, along with fuel or charge depending on whether you're driving a combustion or electric car. It's also worth packing a small emergency kit in case you break down along the way.

The seven essential car safety checks to make before a long journey

Making the right car checks before a long journey is easy to overlook when you're deep in trip prep.

There's the planning, the packing and making sure everyone is ready and raring to go.

With so much to think about, it’s easy enough to slip your mind. But they're a vital part of the puzzle in making sure you can get to your destination without ending up on the side of the M25 on the phone to the AA.

Not sure what you need to check on your car? That's what we're here for, whether you're driving an electric or a combustion vehicle.

Here are seven essential checks to make before a long journey.

Seven checks for your combustion engine

Tyres

Check your tyre pressure and tread depth.

If your tyres are over- or under-inflated, this increases your risk of a blowout — which can be genuinely dangerous, especially at speed or on a motorway.

Check your manufacturer's recommended tyre pressure in your vehicle's handbook, and keep a tyre pump in the car in case you run into problems on your journey.

Check tread depth too. Worn tyres are extremely dangerous; the legal minimum is 1.6mm, but most safety experts recommend 3mm. A deeper tread means more grip, so your brakes work better when you need them unexpectedly.

Battery

Check your battery, making sure the terminals are clean and tight. If your engine struggles when you turn the key, get it checked by a garage.

It's worth keeping jump leads in the car too, though a portable jump-starter pack is often the safer bet. Jump-starting has to be done correctly, as getting it wrong can risk damaging your car's sensitive electronics.

If you do use another car as a donor, make sure its voltage matches yours, and never use an EV or hybrid to jump-start another vehicle.

If you're jump-starting an EV or hybrid yourself, you can only jump the 12V battery, not the main traction battery.

If your car's on a lease with a maintenance package, breakdown cover is usually included, which is a far safer way to get going again than a roadside jump-start.

Wiper blades

Check your wiper blades for wear and tear and replace them if needed; it’s one of the easiest and cheapest jobs you can do on a car.

Worn blades smear rather than clear, and reduced visibility isn't just annoying, it's dangerous.

Lights

Working lights are essential for safe driving.

Turn on your hazard lights and walk around the car to check them — this one you can do alone. For everything else, you'll need a second pair of eyes, since you can't see your own lights from the driver's seat.

Have your helper stand in front of the car while you switch on the main beam, dipped headlights, and indicators, then move to the rear to check the brake lights and reverse lights. Keep the handbrake on throughout, just to be safe.

It’s also easier to test when it’s dark.

Fuel

It might seem obvious, but make sure you've got enough fuel for your journey — plus a bit extra in case you're stuck in traffic with nowhere to fill up.

If you don't know the area well, tracking down a fuel station in an emergency can be trickier than you'd expect. Filling up before you set off saves time and stress later on.

Fluids (coolant, brake, oil, windscreen wash)

Open the bonnet and make sure your car has enough of all the fluids it needs:

• Engine coolant: regulates the engine's temperature. In winter it'll need anti-freeze too — make sure you're using the correct type for your car
• Brake fluid: used every time you brake, so checking the level regularly helps you catch problems before they arise
• Oil: keeps your engine running smoothly — check your handbook for the right type
• Windscreen wash: because nobody wants a dirty windscreen and an empty bottle

Emergency kit

A small emergency kit can make a big difference if you break down or find yourself in a genuine emergency.

• Road map
• Breakdown service contact details
• Phone charger
• Water
• First-aid kit
• Non-perishable food
• Waterproof jacket/hi-vis jacket
• Ice scraper
• Tyre pump
• Torch

Seven checks for your electric car

Tyres

The same checks apply — pressure and tread depth — but EVs are worth taking extra seriously here.

The extra weight from the battery, combined with instant torque, means tyres tend to wear faster than on a combustion car.

Some manufacturers also recommend EV-specific tyres, so it's worth checking your handbook rather than assuming any replacement will do.

Battery

EVs actually have two batteries to think about.

There's the 12V battery, which runs your lights, infotainment and other electronics — check this one exactly as you would on a combustion car, making sure the terminals are clean and tight.

Then there's the main traction battery.

You can't check this one visually, but keep an eye on its state of health via your dashboard or manufacturer app, and avoid regularly running it down to empty or leaving it sitting at 100% for long periods, as both can affect long-term battery health.

Wiper blades

Exactly the same as for combustion cars — check for wear and tear and replace if needed. It's just as easy and cheap a job, whatever you're driving.

Lights

The same process applies here too: Check your hazard lights solo, then get a helper to check the main beam, dipped headlights, indicators, brake lights and reverse lights, with the handbrake on throughout.

Charge

Instead of fuel, it's charge you need to think about.

Make sure you've got enough range for your journey, plus a comfortable buffer — EV range can dip in cold weather or on faster roads, so it's worth not cutting it too fine.

If your journey's a longer one, plan your charging stops in advance using an app like Zap-Map, especially if you're heading somewhere remote.

Charging up fully before you set off, rather than relying on topping up en route, will save you time and hassle later.

Fluids

No engine oil to worry about here, but EVs still rely on a few key fluids:

• Coolant: Keeps the battery and motor at the right temperature, which matters for both performance and battery longevity
• Brake fluid: Used every time you brake, so it's worth checking the level regularly
• Windscreen wash: Same as any car — nobody wants to be stuck with a windscreen full of smears

Emergency kit

Similar to combustion engines but with an extra thing to think of:

• Charging cable
• Charging cable adaptor
• Road map
• Breakdown service contact details
• Phone charger
• Water
• First-aid kit
• Non-perishable food
• Waterproof jacket/hi-vis jacket
• Ice scraper
• Tyre pump
• Torch

Ready to roll

With all these essential checks ticked off your list, you can now cruise confidently towards your destination.

A little preparation goes a long way in ensuring your journey is as smooth as your well-maintained engine.

Not sure where to go?

Check out some of the best road trips in the UK and Ireland and put your freshly checked car through its paces on some of Britain's most stunning routes.