Five Pre-flight Checks: Keep Your Minibus Safe

We all know minibuses can't fly but if you drive a minibus with passengers aboard

, you have as much responsibility for your passengers' safety as any airline pilot. In some respects you have more; an airline pilot can't knock anyone down at a road junction because his brakes don't work! Getting into the habit of making the five following checks pre-journey is easy and should be your standard practice.

1: Windscreen

Is it clean? Is it chipped? Is it cracked? You can't see properly through a grimy windscreen in any conditions. A chipped or cracked minibus windscreen may be repairable but not after a speed bump or pothole has caused it to shatter. Keep it in tip-top condition and remember to check there's enough washer fluid and that the wiper blades are perfect.

2: Mirrors

In some minibuses, the mirrors represent all of your rear vision. They can't help if they're dirty, chipped, cracked or maladjusted. Don't forget that the mirrors can be bumped out of alignment when your minibus is parked. Don't move a millimetre until your mirrors are 100 percent in every respect.

3: Lights

A light that isn't working isn't a light at all. Similarly, dirty lighting is inefficient. It only takes a few minutes to clean and check them. Also, carry spares bulbs (obligatory in most Continental countries) and fuses. Minibus lights operate in the same way as car lights and they need just as much attention.

4: Tyres

Squeezing the last few miles out of your tyre's treads may be praiseworthy but your minibus insurance company may disagree about this. You need a minimum of 1.6mm of tread around the entire circumference of the tyres to be legal. Tread wear indicators are moulded in at the 2mm level and if these are showing level with the tread, you're tyres are beyond a safe limit - 3mm all round is the practicable minimum tread level for a minibus.

Examine the tyres for splits, bulges, tread damage and sidewall cracking. Any and all of these can put you at risk of a blowout. Make sure the tyres at the minibus maker's recommended pressure and don't forget the spare - it may be needed in a hurry and if it isn't checked, you'll be in trouble.

5: Fuel

A minibus that's run out of fuel obviously won't be going anywhere, at least until the breakdown service arrives. Roadside fuel starvation is an embarrassing way of admitting that you were too lazy/preoccupied/forgetful (delete as applicable) to put in enough fuel for the entire journey.

Remember that servicing, on a yearly basis at least, is also your responsibility. Have servicing carried out by a reputable garage and don't forget safety checks on the suspension, brakes and steering of your minibus. If you fail to look after your minibus, you are failing to look after your passengers. If the vehicle is unroadworthy, it is your fault and your minibus insurance company would be within its rights to deny any claim arising in consequence.

by: Louise Slee

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