Jacking up a car (safely)

When jacking up a car it is important to make sure that the area on the ground is level and smooth. If the area on the ground is not level the car may roll back and slip off the jack. If the ground is not smooth the jack's small wheels could get stuck and as the jack goes up the jack will pull away from the jacking point, it could cause the vehicle will slip off.

It is important to put the car in park and put the handbrake up so that the car will not roll backwards or forwards off the jack. For extra safety something could be placed behind the wheels. Before jacking up the car make sure that the jack is in the right position (90 degrees to the wheels) and that it is under a suitable  jacking point where it will not damage the car or be likely to slip of. Once the car has been jacked up put axle stands in as far away from the center as possible to increase the vehicle's stability. Lower the jack so that the vehicle rests on the axle stands. The jack may be left in place as an extra precaution but the handle should be lifted up as far as possible so that other people do not trip over it. Once the car has been jacked up give the vehicle a "shake" to make sure that it is secured before going under it.