Windscreen wiper blades are not something van drivers think about all that much. They are, however, a valuable aid and safety device in any van and faulty windscreen wipers can mean a vehicle fails an MOT.
How many miles you drive each year should be an easy way to work out when to change your wiper blades. It is recommended that a vehicle which is doing 18,000 miles a year should change the windscreen wipers every 6 months. Apart from failing its MOT, a vehicle with defective wipers also has an increased risk of being involved in an accident because of poor vision. It is a really easy and quick task to change your wiper blades.
All you need is a small screwdriver and a new set of wiper blades. Firstly buy the correct replacement windscreen-wiper blades for your car at an auto parts store. The big stores will definitely have them but so should a local auto spares shop. Make sure you buy the entire blade, and not just the rubber blade insert. If you are unsure which ones to buy, check your car manual.
After purchasing the blades take time to open and read through the directions which will tell you in a few different languages how you should connect the attachment to the blade. Pull the windscreen wiper arm up so it is no longer resting on the windscreen. Remove the old wiper blade from the wiper arm; this more often than not will involve pushing on a tab and pulling the windscreen wiper blade off, or using the small screwdriver you have to lift the tab. Put your new attachment onto the new blade or onto the windscreen wiper arm. Depending on what type of van is involved, one will either have to put the attachment on the wiper blade first; or put the attachment onto the wiper arm. Whichever way it is done, listen for a click, which will indicate success. Give the wiper blade a tug to make sure that it is secure and will not fly off next time it rains. Finally lower the wiper arm on to the windscreen gently.
They may only look cheap and are not really that expensive, but they are an important part of your vehicle. It would indeed be sad for a small expense such as a pair of windscreen wipers could lead to a claim on ones commercial vehicle insurance, due to not checking them.