Before using a tire jack, what safety step should be performed?

Before using a tire jack, what safety step should be performed?

• A. Place vehicle in park and set parking brake
• B. Turn off the engine
• C. Remove wheel
• D. Loosen lug nuts first

Answer: (A)

Preventing the vehicle from moving while you change a tire is the safety priority. Before lifting with the jack, put the transmission in park (or in gear if it’s manual) and engage the parking brake. This locks the wheels and steadies the car so it won’t roll if the jack slips or you loosen a lug nut. Turning off the engine helps with overall safety, but it doesn’t guarantee immobilization. Removing the wheel or loosening lug nuts before lifting doesn’t provide this essential protection and can be risky if the car shifts. So the best initial safety step is to immobilize the vehicle by parking and applying the parking brake.

Preventing the vehicle from moving while you change a tire is the safety priority. Before lifting with the jack, put the transmission in park (or in gear if it’s manual) and engage the parking brake. This locks the wheels and steadies the car so it won’t roll if the jack slips or you loosen a lug nut. Turning off the engine helps with overall safety, but it doesn’t guarantee immobilization. Removing the wheel or loosening lug nuts before lifting doesn’t provide this essential protection and can be risky if the car shifts. So the best initial safety step is to immobilize the vehicle by parking and applying the parking brake.