Long drives put more demand on a car than the daily commute ever does, so it's worth spending twenty minutes beforehand rather than finding out about a problem on the motorway. Most breakdowns on long journeys come down to a handful of predictable causes, all of which are easy to check in advance, and a short pre-trip routine can head off the vast majority of them.
Checks under the bonnet
Check engine oil level with the car on level ground, and top up if needed using the correct grade from your handbook. Look at coolant and screen wash levels, and glance over visible drive belts and hoses for cracking or perishing. If your car is due a service soon, it's better to have it done before a long trip than during one.
Tyres and lights
- Check tyre pressures cold, including the spare, and adjust for the extra load if you'll be carrying passengers or luggage.
- Look at tread depth across the width of each tyre, not just the centre.
- Test all lights — indicators, brake lights, and headlights — ideally with a second person checking from outside.
- Clean the windscreen and mirrors thoroughly inside and out, since long-distance glare shows up every smear.
Planning the practical side
Pack an emergency kit with a torch, warm layers, water, and any medication you might need, plus a phone charger that works from the car. Plan fuel or charging stops before you leave rather than relying on finding somewhere convenient, and build in regular breaks — tiredness affects driving as much as any mechanical fault does. If you're travelling with breakdown cover, keep the policy details somewhere accessible rather than buried in an email you can't reach without signal.
None of this takes long, but it shifts the odds firmly in your favour. A car that's been properly checked, combined with a driver who's taken proper breaks, is by far the best insurance against a long drive going wrong. Treat the pre-trip check as part of the journey itself, not an optional extra, and the miles ahead are far more likely to pass without incident.
