Important documents that you should have in your car

There are documents that you, as a car owner, should have in your car or with you when driving. This is to enable you to take precautions and be accountable to the law enforcement agents when necessary.  

There are two kinds of car owners. The ones that have the important documents and the ones that don’t. The ones that do, drive with confidence and don’t have anything to hide when they meet with law enforcement agents like policemen, while the other category of people panic because it is uncertain that they will go scot-free once they interact with law enforcement agents.   

Now, the question is, which category do you fall into?  

Another thing to bear in mind is that these important documents, which ought to be found in your car or with you, must always be up to date. The documents should also be with you in case the car isn’t yours. These documents have an expiration date, and measures are usually put in place to renew them.   

Important documents to have in your car  

1. Driver’s licence   

This is an important document that shows that you have legal permission to drive any car on the road. It proves to law enforcement agents that you are not underage and you meet the requirements according to the law. In Nigeria, there is a certain age that you must have attained in order to be qualified to sit behind the wheels. Having this document will help the law enforcement agents apprehend those who have defaulted and treat them accordingly.  

You don’t have to keep your license in the car permanently, just do well to have it on you always.  

2. Proof of registration  

You know by yourself that your car isn’t stolen and that it’s yours, but how do you prove this if you’re stopped by law enforcement agents? You need to present a document called proof of registration.   

What other reasons should you have a proof of registration document? To prove that you are the legal owner of the car; to help policemen fish out stolen cars, and appropriately deal with the thieves. Therefore, just before you are qualified to drive your car about legally, it is important for you to register your car.   

3.  Vehicle insurance  

Vehicle insurance document is one important document that must not be found missing from your car. It helps to prove to the law enforcement agents that your car is insured. Above all, you meet with different drivers every day. There are some who know what they are doing, and there are others who give themselves to driving recklessly. If an accident ever happens with your car and that of another person, you can rest assured that you have insurance covering the damages. 

4. Vehicle manual  

This important document that should be found in your car is an instructional guide that is peculiar to the model of your car. You need this document in case your car develops a fault, and you need to learn how to go about it. It has all the information that you need to operate or navigate the special features that your car model has.   

According to yourmechanic.com, there are ten things you can find in your vehicle’s manual, also called the owner’s manual.   

• How to set up your car  
• How to check the fluids. That is, oil and water  
• Better advice on how to drive your type of car; especially if it is an advanced model  
• Guidelines on how to deal with common emergencies when there is no help in sight  

• Helps you gain access to technical information concerning certain parts of the car  
• Helps you to achieve the correct tire pressure  
• Helps you to understand the cleaning method that is suitable for your car  
• Enlightens you on the uses of the switch whose function you’re not familiar with  
• Gives insight into what warning lights are meant for  

• Helps you understand what your warranty covers and what it does not cover.    

Conclusively, what are the consequences you are likely to face if you don’t have these important documents.  

• You could lose your car in an accident because your car is not insured  
• You could lose money that you didn’t plan to spend on car repairs  

• Law enforcement agents could have your car seized, and that will place you at their mercy  
• You could meet with embarrassment, especially if you’re underaged, and also put yourself in trouble.  

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