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Before you use your vehicle, it is best to observe some car safety tips before starting out. Your diligence in making sure of standard automobile safety checks before traveling is the best preventive measure to avoid motor accidents.

Check the radiator water level of the car as a first step. Some car owners just assume that there is enough water in their radiators, only to be surprised when the temperature gauge in the car's dashboard starts shooting up. Do not wait for an accident like this to come your way; it is not easy to open the hood of the car and the radiator cap, once the engine is overheated. Some nasty accidents of scalding with boiling water can hit you, if you do not take precaution in opening that radiator cap! Things could be worse if you have no backup container in the car with some water, and you are in the middle of a highway in the desert!

When starting your car's engine, do not forget to put the transmission gear to neutral. This ensures that as the engine comes to life it functions normally, avoiding any unusual *jumping* or abrupt movement, as what happens if the transmission is on first or second gear, that may cause unnecessary accidents.

After the car's engine is started and you forgot to do a task back in the house that will require you to get out of the car to attend to it, be sure to put the hand brakes on, if you leave the engine running.

If there are small children with you in the car, it is best to put the engine off even if the car is on neutral, before leaving the vehicle to return to the house. This is to avoid incidents of the kids unknowingly pulling the transmission lever, as kids are wont to do, active and restless as they normally are. An innocent hand's pull on the lever might cause the car to move abruptly, if the transmission is suddenly in first or second gear without the presence of the adult driving the car.

Before you move out of the garage to start your trip on the road, see to it that everybody with you in the car fastened the seat belts properly. Adults should supervise strictly the fastening of the seat belts for the children.

Make sure in locking the doors properly especially if kids are traveling with you in the car. This is to prevent the accidental opening of the car doors while the vehicle is in motion. Keep away the kids from the doors as much as possible.

Ensure positioning the rear view mirrors of your car correctly to enable you to have a good view of the rear of your car, especially the vehicular traffic following you.

Before picking up some speed, make it a habit to check if the car brakes are working well, by testing them as you move slowly forward.

There is one other thing to re-check before you proceed with that trip. See if the fuel gauge does not indicate a need to pass by the gasoline station for some refill of your tank. That, finally, should complete your list of mandatory things to do for your journey.