6 things to check for in a safety inspection of your child’s vehicle

It’s back to school time! But sending your child back to school also means more driving — to and from school, sports practice, scholastic competitions, and all the driving that comes with the academic year. 

This makes it the perfect time to double check your child’s vehicle and make sure everything is in top condition so that you and your teen don’t encounter any issues on the road this year.

From our team of personal injury attorneys at Pierce & Shows, here are the top 6 things to do when giving your child’s car a check-up.

Making sure your tires are properly aligned is an important element of keeping your car up-to-date. Potholes, curbs, and minor accidents can affect your tires and cause the alignment to get knocked out of place.

If that happens, you could be damaging your tires and affecting how the vehicle is handled due to uneven pressure on the tires that can cause your car to work harder on the tires than it needs to.

After your car is inspected, you’ll get an inspection sticker (often called a “brake tag” in Louisiana) that you need to make sure is visible on your car.

Here’s what you need to do and what to expect at your inspection:

• Have all documents ready to show. 
• Operate turn signals, windshield wipers, horn, and all required lights.  
• The inspector will check tinted windows.
• The inspector will check internal safety features.
• Sign an inspection log stating that you have liability insurance.

Sure, tinted windows might help your young driver to feel cool — both literally and metaphorically. Tinted windows do help reduce the glare from the sun or other vehicles’ headlights and provide less eye strain for the driver. However, there is a legal limit to this tinting because they truly can limit visibility, especially when it comes to driving in reverse. Make sure your child’s vehicle is well within those limits.

This one is pretty straight-forward: We all know that the brakes are vital in case of an emergency. Make sure your child’s brakes are working properly to prevent any accident or even any unwanted stress.

This is an important one for cars and drivers of all ages! There are so many places throughout the city to get your oil changed, and it can be such a quick trip. Make sure the vehicle’s oil is up-to-date (and make sure yours is, too, while you’re at it!).

Receiver hitches are common to see on the back of a truck — especially in Louisiana — but they can cause serious danger in the case of an accident. Vehicles with a hitch or tow bar receiver hitch have a 22 percent increased risk of causing severe whiplash than those without hitches, as well as an average of throwing occupants 2.5 times farther forward than those in the rear-impact vehicle. Surprisingly, these types of accidents often leave little physical damage to the car itself. Unfortunately, this can lead insurance companies to cast doubt on the severity of physical injuries.

Keeping your young driver safe is always a top priority. If you ever run into any issues, Pierce & Shows are here to help. Contact us to schedule a consultation today.