Hi everyone! So, a slightly different post today, but something I feel very strongly about. Today, we’re going to be talking about reasons that your car hates you, aka, ways you may be be putting yourself and others in danger while driving!

While, thank goodness, I’ve never been directly affected by the consequences of dangerous driving, or poor car maintenance, I do know people that have and have heard countless stories about accidents and issues that could easily have been avoided had the driver taken better care of their vehicle.

Something that you’d think would be an obvious point, but is all too easily forgotten is getting your MOT done. Forgetting or worse, ignoring your MOT is not only dangerous but also illegal. Apparently, many people wrongly believe that you can get away with driving without an MOT for weeks or even months after it is due, but this is not the case. While it is true that you can drive without an MOT if you are on your way to an MOT test centre, if you are stopped by the police, you must be able to prove that you are on your way to have your car tested, or else you can face a fine of up to £1000. If you have an accident, you insurance is highly likely to be invalid if you don't have an up to date MOT, leaving you to pay the costs of the damage. Essential safety features like your brakes, tyres, lights, windscreen, exhuast sytem and steering and suspension are all checked in an MOT among many other things. Lots of these are features that aren't easy to test ourselves, so getting it done is essential to your safety.

While not compulsary, there are also risks to failing to have your vehicle serviced regularly. A service generally checks levels of the fluids, including brake fluid, screen wash and coolant. It will also check the condition of the engine, such as the plugs and filter, as well as testing the batteries, lights and tyres. There are several things included in a service that are not checked with an MOT, so it's important that you get this done regularly to avoid any nasty surprises!

Doing self checks is also very important and the easiest way to ensure that your car is safe to drive. A quick look over your tyres to make sure they’re all pumped up and not flat before you drive anywhere, checking your oil and coolant levels and tracking regularly, particularly before a long journey and making sure all your lights work when driving in the dark. These are all so easy to do, but equally easy to forget. Getting into the habit of checking these things though could be the difference between a smooth and safe journey and a potentially fatal one.

今天我分享这篇文章的原因是while subjects like this can seem a little boring or out of line with fashion and beauty content on blogs right now, it’s something that is so important. I’m sure many of my followers drive and almost all of you regularly travel in a car and I know I’ve been guilty of forgetting these things - I even drove home from work with an entirely flat tyre once because I hadn’t checked - never again! For that reason, I hope that this post serves as a reminder to at least some of you to check when your MOT is due, do little self checks on your car and stay safe on the road!

This post was written in collaboration with KAP Motor group, if you're in the area, you can book a hassle free reservation of your MOT test in Kent with KAP, so you'll be safe in the knowledge that your car is good to go!

Thanks for reading!