Before you start learning to drive you should have a basic knowledge of what you need to check to make sure your vehicle is safe and legal to drive.
You should know how to locate and check everything in the table below.
Check |
What to look for |
| Vehicle posture |
Make sure the vehicle is sitting square to the road, which shows that all tyres have equal pressure. If it isn’t, you will need to check the pressure in your tyres. |
| Vehicle body | There should be no obvious damage to the vehicle body that could be considered dangerous. Small dents are acceptable. |
| Tyres and wheels | The tyre tread depth must be at least 1.5 millimetres. Wheels should be undamaged. |
| Indicators and brake lights |
Should work. If your vehicle has a high-mounted stop light, then that must also work. |
| Headlights | Should work on both high and low beams. |
| Windscreen wipers |
Should work effectively. |
| Mirrors | Should be in the correct position for you to see behind you when sitting in the driver’s seat. |
| Horn | Should work. |
| Safety belts | Should work and shouldn’t be frayed or damaged. |
| Licence label | Must be current and displayed on the lower left-hand corner of the windscreen. |
| Warrant of fitness (WoF) or certificate of fitness (CoF) label |
Must be current and displayed on the top right-hand corner of the windscreen. |
| Road user charges (RUC) licence |
If the vehicle requires a RUC licence, it must be current. |
