Remember Driver’s Ed? Simple Car Safety Checks for Students

This article was published in 2013 and updated in October 2026.

Do you remember driver’s ed? When we are learning how to drive a car, one of the first lessons we are given is about vehicle safety. Even if you aren’t 16 anymore, it’s still important to make sure that your car is safe to drive. Here’s what you should be doing.

Check Your Mirrors

If you’re the only person that drives your vehicle, chances are high that you don’t check your mirrors before you pull out of your driveway. It’s a habit that many of us never adopt. While your rearview mirror may stay in position, it may only take a slight bump to move your side mirrors. Before you put the car in reverse, check your mirrors and make sure that they are in proper position. You don’t want to be alerted to a mirror that’s out of whack when you cut someone off on the highway.

Check Your Lights

While you don’t have to check your lights each time you start your engine, you should be checking them once a week. Make sure that your headlights, brake lights and back-up lights are in working order. In addition, you should ensure that your turn signals are functioning properly. Did you know that you can be ticketed by the police in many states for burnt-out lights? Even if you can’t be ticketed, a missing light is all the reason that an officer needs to pull you over and make you late for work.

Check Your Fluids

Checking fluids isn’t often something that we do until a dashboard light comes on. Get into the habit of checking your fluids once a month. At a minimum, check the engine oil and coolant levels and make sure you have enough windshield washer fluid. Your owner’s manual tells you which other fluids, such as brake or transmission fluid, you can check yourself. Electric cars have no engine oil, but still need coolant, brake fluid and washer fluid. You may also want to learn how to check your brake fluid if you have an older or used vehicle. Learning how to check and top-off your fluids can prevent major headaches down the road.

Look for Cracks

A vehicle inspection mirror can be an invaluable safety device. By utilizing one of these mirrors at least once every month or so, you can look under your car without having to put it on a lift or drive it up ramps. Look for any cracks or holes in your exhaust system, and be sure to look for any loose or dangling wires. Finding these things before you pull out of the driveway can literally save your life.

Check the Tires

Properly inflated tires not only make your car safer to drive, but you will use less gas when you’re driving on tires that have the correct amount of air. Look in your owner’s manual to see how much pressure your specific tires should have, and learn how to use a tire gauge to check your tires. The correct pressure for your car is usually printed on a sticker inside the driver’s door frame — not the maximum figure on the tire itself. Check the pressure about once a month when the tires are cold, and remember that it drops in cold weather, so top up when temperatures fall. While you’re at it, check the tread: in most US states 2/32 of an inch is the legal minimum, but grip on wet roads drops well before that, so consider replacing tires earlier. A quick test is to put a penny into the tread upside down — if you can see all of Lincoln’s head, it’s time for new tires.

Don’t Forget Wipers and Battery

Replace your wiper blades when they start streaking or squeaking — usually about once a year — so you can see clearly in rain and snow. Car batteries typically last around three to five years; if your engine is slow to start, especially on cold mornings, have the battery tested before it leaves you stranded. And keep a small emergency kit in the car with jumper cables, a flashlight, a first-aid kit and a phone charger.
If you haven’t “remembered driver’s ed” yet, it’s time to start. Making sure that your vehicle is safe to drive not only keeps you and others on the road out of harm’s way, it can save you a great deal of money. When you’re alerted to a problem before it gets out of hand, you may only have to spend a few hundred dollars for repairs compared to thousands.