I’m a car expert – you need to carry out a check on your lights and two other essentials now or risk up to £15k fines

Planning a summer road trip during the school holidays?

Before you buckle up and drive, it’s important to give your car a thorough health check or you risk a hefty fine.

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Handy, specialists in the valuation of cars Goodbye car have come up with three essential maintenance points that could save you a whopping £15,000 in fines.

Good idea

Be sure to check the bulbs on your headlights, taillights, brake lights and turn signals, as driving without them in good working order is illegal and can result in a hefty fine.

Failing brake lights can net you a £60 fine and 3 points on your driving licence, while driving without a working headlight can net you a £100 fine on the spot.

And if your indicators don’t work, it could be classed as careless driving, with a penalty of a whopping £2,500 depending on the severity of the situation.

Tread cautiously

Over-inflated tires can affect your vehicle’s handling and increase the risk of a flat tire, while under-inflated tires can result in poor fuel economy.

It is important to check tire pressure regularly and ensure tire pressure is within recommended range.

You can get three penalty points on your driving license and face a fine of up to £2,500 per tire if it is under-inflated or the tread pattern is worn traffic regulations.

That means if all four tires are found to be illegal you could be fined £10,000.

Break

Maintaining reliable brakes is vital to your safety on the road.

If possible you should check the brake pads by looking through the openings in the wheel spokes or even remove the wheel if necessary and look for wear.

Next, locate the brake fluid reservoir under the hood and make sure the fluid level is between the minimum and maximum marks.

If your brakes don’t work, you can be charged with ‘use of a vehicle in a dangerous condition’, which could result in a fine of £2,500.