With time off work confirmed, and the mini-break finally booked, the only thing left to do is look forward to some relaxing fun in the sun.  Okay, it may only be Camber Sands in Kent, but it’s better than a kick in the drive shaft.

With pedal to the metal, you’re burning rubber down the M20 cranking up whatever driving music gets you hot under the bonnet.  Then something happens that will require a lot more than a jack...

In the short space of about ten seconds, you experience screeching sounds, followed by thick black smoke, culminating in a BANG!

Your engine has run out of oil.  The low-oil light in your car failed to alert you, possibly due to a wiring fault, but it is down to you to manually check your oil regularly, and relying on a small red light is simply not enough.

Any petrolhead with a lead-foot knows that without oil in the car, there is no lubrication and the friction of the cylinders will create extreme heat.  Imagine metal grinding against metal at high speed - in short, adios twin-turbo (if you’re lucky enough to have one).  It will seize up and the damage is often irreparable.

Changing oil is part of the most basic car maintenance; all you have to do is remove the dipstick and wipe clean with a rag or cloth.  When you reinsert the dipstick and remove once more, you’ll be able to see the oil level.  It needs to be somewhere between the minimum and maximum markings, and if it is too low then top it up! 

There are a few other things to check which will help to avoid road and motorway mishaps.  Keep cool - always top up coolant levels.  A lot of people don’t realise that, in cold weather, the water in the engine can freeze overnight and cause parts of the engine block to crack.  This is why is it is a good idea to put a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze in the radiator.  Remember to wait for the car to cool down before undoing the cap, otherwise it will rocket up in your general direction much like a champagne cork.

Always check your tyre pressure, and you can normally find the right PSI or BAR in your handbook or on the tyre.  You could always ask a breakdown cover provider for the meaning of the term ‘tyre blowout’, but you probably don’t need to...

Before your trip, no matter how far it is, remember to check everything you can; this includes windscreen wipers, lights, battery and brake fluid.  It doesn’t take an employee of RAC to work out that low brake fluid is very dangerous, so make sure it is between minimum and maximum, and changed every 2 years.

These checks are not particularly exciting, but are very easy to carry out and integral to your safety.  Make sure you keep them up, otherwise your trip could end prematurely and your car will have more than just one dipstick.