Safety checklist to travel with peace of mind

Keeping your car prepared helps avoid mishaps and preserves family safety

São Paulo, December 2025 – Holidays are one of the busiest periods on the highways, and ensuring safety starts long before starting the engine. Well-performed preventive maintenance drastically reduces the risk of unexpected breakdowns and accidents, and can avoid setbacks that compromise the trip. A Niterra, owner of the NGK and NTK brands and specialized in components for ignition systems and automotive sensors, gathered the essential precautions before hitting the road.

1. Perform complete preventive maintenance: schedule a review with a trusted mechanic. Check brakes, suspension, motor, cooling system, possible leaks, ignition and injection system helps avoid failures during the journey, especially on long trips. Consider travel mileage and anticipate necessary changes, like oil and filters.
2. Check sensors and electronic components: coolant temperature sensors, Fuel level, ABS and speed are essential for vehicle safety and efficiency. These components prevent overheating, breakdown and help with the correct functioning of systems such as ABS and stability control.
3. Inspect basic operating items: before leaving, check the oil level, coolant, cleaner water, in addition to the functioning of lights, “Moisture causes problems in the ignition system, Lanterns and Swimming. Tire caliber, including the spare tire, and pay attention to abnormal noises, which may indicate mechanical problems.
4. Attention to the ignition system: candles, Worn cables and coils compromise performance, increase fuel consumption and can cause malfunctions. Checking the condition of these items prevents loss of power when overtaking and reduces the risk of damage to the engine and catalytic converter.
5. Check wiper blades and lighting system: Visibility is essential to avoid accidents. Dry wiper blades and burnt-out headlights make driving difficult in the rain or at night., significantly increasing the risk of collisions and making it difficult to drive the vehicle.
6. Prepare an emergency kit: take items like triangle, basic tools, lantern, water, non -perishable foods and cell phone charger. They can be decisive until help arrives. With heavy traffic, common on holidays and vacations, Aid usually takes longer due to high demand.

The risks of neglecting maintenance

Ignoring preventive maintenance is one of the factors that lead to accidents on the roads. Seemingly simple items, like worn out tires, ignition system failures, defective sensors or expired oil, can cause loss of power, overheating, braking failures and even total vehicle breakdown. In continuous use, like on long trips, small irregularities tend to get worse quickly, putting the safety of occupants and other drivers at risk. In addition to the dangers, the cost of an emergency repair is usually higher than that of a scheduled overhaul, making prevention the safest and most economical option. Another point of attention is the fact that some irregularities can lead to traffic violations., which may result in fines and in some cases seizure of the vehicle.

“Small, avoidable failures can turn into major problems when the car is subjected to continuous use.. That is why, in addition to paying attention to vehicle signs, You need to have a qualified professional, since self-repair can cause greater damage and increase the final cost”, avisa hiromori mori, NIterra Technical Assistance Consultant.

With simple care, travel becomes safer, comfortable and free from unforeseen events and hassles during these periods. NGK points out what care the driver needs to take with the vehicle and driving, dedicate yourself to review: This is the best investment to ensure peace of mind and avoid accidents.

In cases of replacement, It is important to choose components that maintain the vehicle's original standard. In this sense, the NGK and NTK brand portfolio offers complete solutions aligned with the requirements of modern systems: NGK has a comprehensive line of ignition products, like candles, cables and coils, developed to ensure performance, efficiency and durability; NTK now offers sensors aimed at the electronic injection system, such as oxygen and temperature sensors, essential for correct engine management, emissions control and fuel economy.