Know the correct tyre pressures for your car. The wrong pressures will affect handling and braking. The car’s handbook will give guidance, or there will be a tyre pressure notice on the driver’s door pillar, or inside the petrol filler cap cover. 
Check your tyre pressures at least fortnightly, using either a high-quality gauge of your own or the air-line at a local garage. Look for cuts on the tyre sidewalls and note if any one tyre needs topping up regularly: it may have a slow puncture. Never forget to check your spare tyre too.

Look in the maker’s handbook for the location of the car’s basic toolkit, which should contain at least a jack and wheel removal tools. Familiarise yourself with the points at which the jack should be fitted on to the car for safe raising.

Oil is vital to engine lubrication and cooling. 
Check the dipstick at least every fortnight and before any long journey. Have the oil and oil filter changed at recommended service intervals.
High oil consumption can indicate engine problems.

The main coolant for most engines is a 50 per cent mixture of water and antifreeze, which is pumped round the engine and through the heating system. Check the coolant level regularly and top up as necessary - but only when the engine is cold. Before the onset of winter, have the concentration of antifreeze in the system checked by your garage and corrected as necessary. 
Antifreeze not only prevents the coolant from freezing at low temperatures, it also prevents the build-up of corrosion within the cooling system, and so is important all year round.

Windscreen wiper blades wear down over time, and can smear the windscreen if they become worn. Replace them at least once a year to get the best performance. Replacement kits often have universal fittings, but you must use the right adaptor for secure fitting.

A working screenwash system is a legal requirement, so check and top it up regularly. Use a good screenwash additive at the recommended concentrations for summer and winter use. Water alone will not clear oily road grime, and freezes more readily in winter.

Regularly inspect your windscreen for stone damage. Always replace a cracked or chipped screen as soon as possible. Even the smallest chip can eventually crack glass, and any kind of windscreen damage may impair vision or distract attention. Minor chips can be repaired by a windscreen specialist.

Check all lights, with a helper if necessary, at least weekly. Fully operating lights are a legal requirement at all times. At the front they light your way; at the rear they warn other drivers of your presence. In your check, don’t forget indicators, brake - and foglights. 
Lights pick up road dirt, so make sure they are all cleaned regularly. In bad weather, wipe them with a damp cloth during driving breaks.

Many modern cars have power steering. Ensure the fluid reservoir is checked at every service and check it yourself once a month. Top up only with hydraulic fluid as advised in the car’s handbook. Any fluid leak must be investigated.

Many cars have extended bodywork warranty schemes. To be eligible for corrosion-related damage cover, you may need to submit your car for annual inspection. Check that any previous owner has kept the necessary maintenance record up to date.