5 really important automotive safety checks you should do yourself before getting on the road

With nearly half of all car accidents occurring at night, knowing that every foot counts and every second matters when it comes to avoiding obstacles, your headlights are one place you don't want to skimp. Headlights like SYLVANIA SilverStar ULTRA are designed with safety in mind, to be the farthest downroad headlights from SYLVANIA and to improve contrast and clarity of objects on the road. Just this one simple upgrade can make you a whole lot safer. Especially if you change your bulbs frequently, before they start to dim or yellow. In other words, if you can’t remember the last time you changed out your headlights, it's probably time.

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3. Check your tire pressure

You want to check the air pressure in your tires about once a month, and certainly before any road trips. Be sure to do it when the tires are cold, so at home in your driveway is good; not when you've just pulled off the highway, unless it's an emergency. Tire gages are super inexpensive and you can just stash one in the glove compartment. It's a snap to check each tire's PSI (our kids love helping) then compare the reading with your auto manufacturer's suggested PSI level. Then, just top off your tires as needed and roll. How to do it: Every major tire company has handy instructions on their website, so check yours for info. Or watch this how-to YouTube video from GeoBeats that describes how to check your tire PSI and how to be sure it's at the levels you need.  

4. Check your tire treads...with a penny

  According to the NHTSA, there are 11,000 tire-related accidents each year. But you certainly don't have to be among those stats if you make sure your tires haven't overstayed their welcome. To find out if your tire treads are wearing too low, here's a simple trick you can do yourself, instead of paying an expert to do the exact same thing: Grab a penny, and place Lincoln's head down (sorry, Abe) into a few of the tread grooves. If the top of Lincoln's head isn't visible, that means the grooves are still deep enough -- about 2/32 of an inch -- and you're in good shape. However if you can see the top of Lincoln's head, time for new tires. As for replacing your tires, definitely leave that to the pros. But at least if you don't need new ones just yet, you won't have wasted time (and possible labor fees) having the treads checked by someone else who may even have a profit motive for replacing them before it's necessary. How to do it: Visit the tire section on safercar.gov, for tons of info on tire safety, including penny test instructions.  

5. Check manufacturer warnings or recalls

Finally, one of the easiest ways to keep your car in safe condition is to simply check your manufacturer's website from time to time. By law, they must alert you about any maintenance recalls or warnings about potential safety defects within 60 days by first class mail --  but to be perfectly honest, we've mistaken some of those notices for junk mail in the past. So, be proactive and do your own checking for recalls and alerts. Not just of your car as a whole, but your tires, and any other equipment or third-party parts. That said, don't panic! A recall doesn't necessarily mean imminent safety issues. It may be a small plastic piece you never even thought about that needs replacing, or a small change that can help a manufacturer comply with emission standards.   How to do it: Visit your auto manufacturer's own website and look for a section called something like "maintenance and recalls." There are generally instructions for entering your vehicle make, model and year, and you'll find out in a snap if there's anything you need to take care of, or a new piece you need to order. Alternatively, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Association website at safercar.gov, which makes it easy to search by model (as shown above) and keeps consumers up to date with recalls, investigations, complaints, and potential defects of all kinds. Because hey, we want you to stay safe out there! Thanks so much to our sponsor, SYLVANIA Automotive for making it easier for us to keep our families safe on the road. Check out their site for tons of helpful info and videos, and follow them on Facebook for more auto safety info.