Three important road trip basics for the holiday season.

The summer holidays are about to start, which means many of Australia’s 20 million registered vehicles will soon make their longest and busiest road trips of the year. Here are three essentials to consider before you hit the road.  

Looking for your next summer getaway? Check out our top 3 summer drives in Australia.

Why correctly servicing your Mazda is important:

Servicing your Mazda correctly at the right time – every time – helps keep it operating safely and properly.

Replacing essential lubricants, fluids and their filters mean your car’s engine and its related components can perform as designed and last longer. Friction, heat and contaminants cause oils to deteriorate, which is why they must be replaced according to the servicing schedule set by Mazda’s engineers.

The condition and thickness of your Mazda’s brake pads and brake discs are also essential for correct safety performance. Regularly checking their related components, such as hydraulic brake lines, is also vital.

Correctly conducting all of these necessary regular checks set by Mazda’s engineers means you can drive with peace of mind. All technicians in Mazda’s Australian dealer network are trained by Mazda, which means your car accesses factory-trained know-how when serviced and maintained by an authorised Mazda dealership.

Get in touch with your nearest authorised Mazda dealer if your car is due for its next scheduled service.

• Correct scheduled servicing of your Mazda is essential
• Correct oils, lubricants, filters and components help keep your car running safely and properly
• Authorised Mazda dealers use factory trained technicians

Why your Mazda’s tyres are important:

Thousands of individual components make up your Mazda and only four of them physically connect it to the road. Every vehicle’s tyres have huge responsibilities. They contribute to your car’s safety, in-cabin comfort, ride, handling and performance. They also have to withstand a multitude of forces along with heat, vibration and friction. Taking care of your tyres is paramount.

Check your Mazda’s tyre pressures regularly, ideally once a week. Your Mazda’s recommended tyre pressures can be found inside the car’s driver door jamb or inside your car’s owner’s manual.

Even though your Mazda might have an onboard Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), investing a few minutes manually checking each tyre every week is an opportunity to check for damage, strange-looking wear patterns or punctures.

It’s also a chance to check your tyres’ tread wear indicators have not exceeded their limits. If you need to replace a tyre, experts suggest replacing both tyres on the same axle. (That is, both front tyres or both rear tyres). This is to ensure your vehicle performs correctly.

Remember to also check the four-digit manufacturing date on each tyre. Old tyres should be replaced. Ask your Mazda dealer if you need help finding and decoding your tyres’ manufacturing dates, and always include your car’s spare wheel (if it has one fitted) when it comes to tyre maintenance.

• Manually check your Mazda’s tyre pressures regularly
• Check them for wear, damage and punctures
• Replace old tyres
• Don’t forget the spare wheel (if your car has one fitted)

Why checking your insurance and registration is important

With physical stickers and labels for vehicle registration a thing of the past, the risk of forgetting to re-register a vehicle is arguably now greater, even if you receive email and sms reminders amongst your daily deluge of messages.

Driving an unregistered vehicle can attract significant legal penalties. It can also affect your vehicle’s insurance. Speaking of which, busy lives can also result in other overlooked bill payments, including car insurance renewals. Make sure your car’s insurance policy is up to date and specifies the full coverage you expect.

If you own a caravan or trailer of any kind, check its insurance is also up to date.

Planning a caravan trip this summer? Check out our BT-50 Tech Drive for the best caravan towing tips and safety advice.

Tourism Research Australia says there were more than 901,000 caravan and camper registrations across Australia last year – an all-time -record – which means there is a decent chance some owners might have overlooked their insurance renewals. Make sure yours is up to date.

• Check your car’s registration and insurance are up to date
• Do the same for your caravan, camper or trailer

Remember to contact your nearest Mazda dealership if you need any assistance getting your car road trip-ready this summer. Enjoy your holidays!