• Tire pressure and wear;
• Oil and brake fluid levels;
• Battery fluid,,
• Radiator water level; The following items should be in your vehicle at all times for emergency situations:
• Screwdriver;
• Pliers;
• Flares;
• Flashlight;
• Jack/Spare tire;
• Battery jumper cables and procedure for boosting;
• Change for telephone;
• Lubricant for locks;
• Lock de-icer;
• Lug wrench;
• Auto insurance card;
• First Aid Kit and Blanket;
• Phone Numbers of 24 hour tow and repair service;
• Sign: "PLEASE CALL POLICE" in light-reflecting letters approximately 12" high;
• Emergency tire repair kit and air compressor.
  

• Keep at a safe distance behind other vehicles. A good guide is to keep at least one car length behind the vehicle in front of you for every 10 kilometres per hour your vehicle is travelling along the road. In the wet, and at night, leave more distance.
• Ensure your mobile phone is switched off or diverted while you are driving.
• Avoid driving when fatigued. Pull over and take power naps on long trips.
• Be especially alert at high pedestrian areas such as shopping centres and crossings.
• Slow down in pedestrian areas (ie. schools, kindergartens, shops and the like).
• Be aware of bicycles and motorbikes.
• Drop back or move across to allow for merging traffic.
• Ensure your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is below the legal limit prior to driving. Remember your BAC may still be over the limit the morning after.
• Approach intersections with caution, at a speed that allows you to stop if necessary.
• Be courteous and considerate to all other road users.
• Indicate early when changing lanes or turning so that other road users have plenty of warning.
• Plan your route well ahead so that you do not 'cut in' on other drivers.
• Remain calm at all times.

By law, you must wear a seat belt in cars and goods vehicles where one is fitted. There are very few exceptions to this. The driver is liable to prosecution if a child under 14 years does not wear a seat belt or child restraint as required.

Children up to 135cms tall must use the appropriate child restraint for their weight (not age) when travelling in the front or back seat of any car, van or goods vehicle. There are very few exceptions. Read more about child car seats. 'Child restraint' means any of baby seat, child seat, booster seat or booster cushion.

A child can use an adult belt when they reach 135cm or their 12th birthday, whichever comes first.

In buses and coaches with seat belts fitted, passengers aged 14 years and above must use them. Passengers on vehicles used for public fare paying passengers on 30mph roads are exempt.

Top tips Don't

Put the same seat belt around two children, or around yourself and another passenger (adult or child). In a crash, they will crush each other. let a child use an adult belt too early.

• Use the driving gear that the manufacturer recommends for towing.
• Drive at moderate speeds. This will place less strain on your tow vehicle and trailer. Trailer instability (sway) is more likely to occur as speed increases.
• Avoid sudden stops and starts that can cause skidding, sliding, or jackknifing.
• Avoid sudden steering maneuvers that might create sway or undue side force on the trailer.
• Slow down when traveling over bumpy roads, railroad crossings, and ditches.
• Make wider turns at curves and corners. Because your trailer’s wheels are closer to the inside of a turn than the wheels of your tow vehicle, they are more likely to hit or ride up over curbs.
• To control swaying caused by air pressure changes and wind buffeting when larger vehicles pass from either direction, release the accelerator pedal to slow down and keep a firm grip on the steering wheel.

Braking

• Allow considerably more distance for stopping.
• If you have an electric trailer brake controller and excessive sway occurs, activate the trailer brake controller by hand. Do not attempt to control trailer sway by applying the tow vehicle brakes; this will generally make the sway worse.
• Always anticipate the need to slow down. To reduce speed, shift to a lower gear and press the brakes lightly.

Acceleration and Passing

• When passing a slower vehicle or changing lanes, signal well in advance and make sure you allow extra distance to clear the vehicle before you pull back into the lane.
• Pass on level terrain with plenty of clearance. Avoid passing on steep upgrades or downgrades.
• If necessary, downshift for improved acceleration or speed maintenance.
• When passing on narrow roads, be careful not to go onto a soft shoulder. This could cause your trailer to jackknife or go out of control.

Downgrades and Upgrades

• Downshift to assist with braking on downgrades and to add power for climbing hills.
• On long downgrades, apply brakes at intervals to keep speed in check. Never leave brakes on for extended periods of time or they may overheat.
• Some tow vehicles have specifically calibrated transmission tow-modes. Be sure to use the tow-mode recommended by the manufacturer.

Backing Up

• Put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel. To turn left, move your hand left. To turn right, move your hand right. Back up slowly. Because mirrors cannot provide all of the visibility you may need when backing up, have someone outside at the rear of the trailer to guide you, whenever possible.
• Use slight movements of the steering wheel to adjust direction. Exaggerated movements will cause greater movement of the trailer. If you have difficulty, pull forward and realign the tow vehicle and trailer and start again.

Parking

• Try to avoid parking on grades. If possible, have someone outside to guide you as you park. Once stopped, but before shifting into Park, have someone place blocks on the downhill side of the trailer wheels. Apply the parking brake, shift into Park, and then remove your foot from the brake pedal. Following this parking sequence is important to make sure your vehicle does not become locked in Park because of extra load on the transmission. For manual transmissions, apply the parking brake and then turn the vehicle off in either first or reverse gear.
• When uncoupling a trailer, place blocks at the front and rear of the trailer tires to ensure that the trailer does not roll away when the coupling is released.
• An unbalanced load may cause the tongue to suddenly rotate upward; therefore, before un-coupling, place jack stands under the rear of the trailer to prevent injury.