Checks you must do before driving long distances

The journey to an upcountry or distant location is always a long one that needs some bit of preparation.
For many, the preparations are usually focused on the individual forgetting the means that will safely deliver them to whenever they are going.
Cars, just like humans, need a certain degree of preparing to offer some guarantees over delivering passengers safely.
The preparations must consider the distance, road surface and terrain on which one expects to travel.
For instance, according to Ivan Kyeyune, a mechanic on Rubaga Road, no driver should knowingly drive a journey of more than 40 kilometres without preparing the car.
“It is not necessary that you check the car for defects or faulty mechanical conditions but check to be sure that you will be delivered to wherever you are going safely,” he says.
The checks, he says, gives the occupants an assurance and informs the driver of any defects and how to navigate them while on the road.
Specifically, Kyeyune adds, one might be required to conduct a comprehensive service procedure that would cover a number of things or just do partial checks, considering the condition of the car. The areas of special focus include:

Condition of tyres
They are one of the most sensitive parts of a car and they must at all-time be in good shape.
According to Albert Bogere, a tyre mechanic in Ndeeba, most accidents involving cars result from defects on tyres that either go unnoticed or are just ignored. “Many people drive around with a lump-like protrusion on their tyres and they never care to check what the problem is,” he says, emphasising that any serious driver must make sure that they diagnose the problem and understand where and why there is that protrusion.
Beyond this, he says, you must check if the tyres have the right air pressure and if your spare tyre is in perfect shape.

Level of fuel
Unless otherwise – travelling using an electric car, which are extremely rare on Ugandan roads – you must prepare to take enough fuel to drive you to and from.
Be sure that the fuel will sufficiently drive you to your destination in addition to shorter journeys that you might not have prepared for.
For instance, Sanyu Male, she usually fuels her Rav4 with an equivalent of Shs150,000 every time she is travelling to her village five kilometres out of Bulo Town in Gomba District.
“At least I am sure I have enough fuel. Shs100,000 would be enough but I usually put in some additional fuel to move me around since I have a number of relatives within or outside the village that I have to visit,” she says.

Oil, water and other fluids
Oil is specifically important here and you must always make sure that you have the right quality and amount.
“You must ascertain that the fluids in your car including different oils, water or hydrant levels and brake fluid are sufficient to take you through your journey,” Bogere says.
This can be ascertained at a fueling station, a car service point or a motor garage, according to Bogere.

Shock absorbers
Up-country roads, especially those that drive deep into villages, according to Kyeyune, are usually bumpy and expose cars to a number of mechanical problems.
Therefore, he says, your car needs to have some good ground clearance and well conditioned shock absorbers to absorb the bumps.
Apart from absorbing bumps, village trips are characterised by some form of loading, which might put substantial pressure on the shock absorbers. Therefore, Kyetune says, you must always make sure that your shocks are in good shape to withstand such bumpy journeys.