Women's first drive trip

First and foremost get your car into tip top travelling condition by doing some self maintenance.

Tyres & Wheels

Your tyres are one of the most important safety features of your car. Bald and unevenly worn tyres can get you sliding out of control pretty quickly and reduce your braking ability. There are 3 main areas to check.

1. Tyre Wear. Take a good look at each tyre. You will notice that there are ridges. When the tyres are worn the ridges become smooth. To check how much the rubber has worn, place a match stick in between the ridges. If the head of the match stick is taller than the rubber then your tyres are worn and you may need new ones. Check all 4 tyres as well as the spare. And if you don't have a spare tyre in the boot, get one as soon as you can.

2. Tyre Pressure. Check you pressure at your local petrol station. The correct tyre pressure for your car is printed on a placard often found on the driver's door sill. It will also be in your car's handbook. Remove the caps and add air to the correct pressure. You will need to do this for all 4 tyres as well as the spare. If you do not have any caps over the valve, you can buy some from your local auto shop. The caps help the air stay in your tyres.

3. Wheel Alignment. Hitting the kerb as well as general driving car lead to your wheels getting out of alignment. To check, drive the car slowly in a straight line down a quite flat street. Loosely hold the steering wheel. If the car tends to steer to the right or the left then your wheels may be out of alignment. Take it to your local service centre where they will adjust it for you.

4. If you need to buy new tyres, check out the fuel efficient ones from Hankook.

Under The Bonnet

There are a couple of things you can check yourself before you head off.

1. Oil. Park your car on a flat surface. Pull the dipstick out and wipe it with paper towel. Put it back in the hole fully and pull it out again to see the oil level. If it's reading low, top up your oil using the correct grade as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. Check your oil when your car is slightly warmed up.

2. Windscreen washer water and fluid - You'll find a clear plastic bottle with a windscreen symbol on it. Simply pull off the cap and fill with clean water. You can also add a windscreen washer fluid which gives it an even better clean.

The People

So your car is now ready to hit the grey freeway of adventure, but what about you and your passengers?

1. The Driver

Before you set off agree on who will be driving the car and make sure they are covered under the car owner's insurance policy. Plan you stops and your driver changes. It is recommend that you stop every 2 hours to have a rest. Each time a new driver gets in, get them to take a couple of minutes to adjust the seat, rear view mirror and side mirror. It sounds obvious but may women will change the seat, but not the side mirrors.

2. Entertainment, Snacks, Games

Pack your favourite CD, DVDs and games. Pack some road snacks including fruit, lollies, mints and sandwiches. Pack plenty of water and insist on the driver drinking it. The more they drink the more you will stop for a "nature call", which gives everyone a break. Remember the driver is the key to getting you to your destination safely so be prepared to let them have a greater say in the music and provide them with drinks/snacks when they require it.