Safety tips from Tony Hastings

Refuelling the car:

Many of us - and I'm guilty in the past - ask our children to "fill er up" when we go in for fuel.

But were you aware that, by law, people under the age of 18 are not permitted to operate petrol bowsers or fill fuel cans at the petrol station?

Let's face it, we'd never forgive ourselves if something went wrong while the kids were filling the tank and something caused a spill onto them or a flash fire around them.

If the kids really want that feeling of being adult enough to "fill er up" ask them to perform other adult tasks such as vacuum the house or cook all the meals - something meaningful !

Filling Fuel Containers:

When filling a spare container while you are at the petrol station there are a couple of principles to follow:

First - Petrol only belongs in petrol containers.

Bottles can break, some plastics melt when in contact with fuel and we can quickly find ourselves with a boot floating with fuel.

Fill your containers while they are on the ground. Static electricity from the car and the carpet in the boot can cause ignition of fuel vapours.

Never stand directly over the can while you fill it. The upward floating vapours can cause temporary brain fade.

MOST IMPORTANT:

Never: put fuel containers in the cabin area of a sedan or in the back of a station wagon.

Holiday preparation:

It's time to prepare for your holiday car journey:-

Have the car serviced and make sure to tell the service people that you are off on a long trip.  Paying special attention to things like brakes, tyres and any fuel leaks with particular emphasis on loose, frayed or worn fuel lines.

Unfortunately, unless you actually ask the service people to do specific checks some of them will only go through the compulsory items, like replacing spark plugs and oil filters.

MOST IMPORTANTLY:- Have the service done now that way you're not scratching around at the last moment when everyone else also wants their car serviced.

Have you ever thought about the most valuable of all equipment you carry in the car - It's your family.

So first things first for the holiday trip, make sure all seat belts in the car are properly secure and most importantly that there are no cuts or fraying edges on the belts.  If so replace them.

Probably the most dangerous position for one of your children is sitting in the middle of the back seat with a "lap only" type of seat belt.  Many auto accessory shops now stock lap/sash kits for the centre of the rear seats.  They provide lateral support for the child in the centre helping to prevent one of the most common fatality causes - head to head impact.

Tools & Parts:-

Genuine Parts:

Car manufacturers recommend that you only use genuine replacement parts when having a car serviced.

Of course they do ! That way they pocket your money and make great profits on parts that can be just as effectively replaced even though they may not include the car manufacturers logo.

If in doubt, go to an auto accessory dealer they are usually experts and if there are any flaws or marginal mismatches in parts they will tell you, provided it is a reputable store.

Why go for the 'non genuine' replacement part?

Because they are usually just as good but the larger profit margin stays in your pocket.

Tools:

Many people go to the auto spare parts shop and hunt around for the cheapest version of what they need.

Take tool kits as an example - The amount of stress and strain placed on your average screwdriver is enormous and the result is that the cheapies break, bend or twist under the heaviest load - the time when you need a tool to operate at its best.

I've seen some pretty nasty injuries caused by cheap tools and usually you have to go back and buy a replacement, which then adds up to the cost of a good one anyway.

Let's face it - cheap tools MAY perform temporarily but a good tool should last you a lifetime.