Many new immigrants may be apprehensive about car safety inspections because they have limited information about what such inspections are about. This article discusses some of the accident avoidance and safety features that an inspector may pay attention to during a vehicle safety inspection.

Car Lights

Car lights play an important role in ensuring that road users are safe when driving their cars. Faulty lights, such as defective brake lights, may cause an accident. This is because motorists who are following your car may not realize when you are braking. Consequently, the car behind yours may bump into your car when you brake suddenly and the driver behind you does not see your brake lights coming on. It is for this reason that car safety inspectors may check all the lights on your car to confirm that they are in a good working condition before clearing your car to receive an inspection sticker.

The Windshield and Its Wipers

Some accidents may be caused when a driver is unable to see what is in front of him or her clearly. This limited visibility may be due to cracks on the windshield caused by worn wiper blades. It is therefore important to check the windshield and the wipers to confirm that they will not hinder how clearly you can see ahead of you as you drive.

The State of Car Mirrors

Car mirrors, such as the driving mirror above the dashboard and the rear-view mirror, play an important role in keeping a driver aware of their surroundings as he or she is driving. The rear-view mirrors should also be easy to adjust so that the driver does not have to strain in order to use them. The safety inspector may check these mirrors thoroughly to ensure that they are free from cracks and that they can be adjusted.

The Braking System

Brakes play an important role in accident prevention. For instance, you can brake hard in order to avoid hitting an animal that suddenly runs across the road when you are driving. Inspectors make sure that your car brakes, including the parking brake, are working properly before your vehicle can pass its safety inspection.

As you can see, there is nothing special about a safety inspection. The aspects checked are the same aspects that you should pay attention to during routine vehicle maintenance. There is no reason to be uneasy about taking your car for the safety when it's time to have it done.