As Nigerians prepare for the Yuletide, which would involve celebrations and road trips around the country, an auto dealer, David Fajobi, has advised travellers to properly check their vehicles thoroughly before embarking on trips to obviate accidents.
He regretted that sometimes the period of celebrations was punctuated by road accidents due partly to vehicles not in good condition. FRSC estimates that about 13 people die daily by tragic accidents on Nigerian roads.
According to Fajobi, who is the head of the inspection at Cars45.com, in a statement, several factors result to carnage on our roads, but the major causes include poor state of vehicles and the poor state of mind of drivers.
“As Christmas approaches, many Nigerians would be travelling long distances to their hometowns to celebrate with their loved ones. But if you are planning to make the trip with your own car, do bear in mind that a long trip is a serious test for your car and even a slight problem such as a worn windscreen wiper or out-of-balance tire can cause a lot of troubles.
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“To make sure your vehicle is in perfect condition to withstand the stress of long trips, the surest way would be to conduct a full and thorough inspection on your vehicle through an expert such as Cars45.com while preparing to make the trip,” he said.
He advised motorists on three key areas to focus on while inspecting their vehicles. This include suspension: The suspension of a vehicle is the system of tires, tire air, springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connect a vehicle to its wheels and allows relative motion between the two.
“It is important to get your mechanic to check your tyres properly, to ensure proper alignment and balanced wheel,” he said.
Another area is the ignition system. The ignition system generates a spark or heats an electrode to a high temperature that makes it possible for your vehicle engine to get started.
“Most of the time, the ignition of your car begins to show a problem when the ignition coil develops fault”.
He also advised motorists to look at General Lubrication Service: “This is what you already do perhaps every two or three months, depending on the distance your car regularly travels or what the manufacturer recommends. If you are preparing for a long trip, it is highly advisable to change your vehicle’s oil. There are several of them including transmission oil, brake oil, engine oil, etc, and it is important to have them changed before a long trip,” he said.
Daniel Obi
