Check the tread and pressure of your tyres to stay safe on the road
Check the Tread and Pressure of Your Tyres to Stay Safe on the Road
Our tyres are critical components of our cars, they are what both drive us forward and bring us to a controlled stop. If there are any problems with our tyres such as a puncture or lack of tread, the consequences can be life threatening, like failing to stop the vehicle in time.
It’s therefore vital that we keep an eye on the condition of all four tyres whenever we take to the road. On longer trips you may want to inflate your tyres and give them a quick check for punctures or nails embedded in your wheels. Motoring experts have suggested that, if you drive regularly such as commuting to work then you should ideally be checking your tyres every week.
A severely deflated tyre can sometimes be pretty obvious to spot from the way your car is sitting in your driveway, normally off to one side. Slight drops in tyre pressure can make your car work harder in order to move, and this could lead to burning up fuel at a quicker rate. Air pumps at petrol stations are good ways to accurately fill your tyres but having a foot pump or one that operates off of your cigarette lighter are handy bits of kit to keep in your car boot.
As well as making sure that your tyres are properly inflated you need to keep an eye on the tread depth and coverage. Your tyres are legally required to have a minimum of 1.6mm of tread depth across the central 75% of the tyre surface that comes into contact with the road. Failure to meet this requirement is not only illegal but can also hamper your cars ability to maintain traction with the road. This can be very dangerous as the loss of tyre grip in adverse weather can be like driving in ice skates, and will severely affect your braking abilities as well as the cars handling in general.
You should also bear in mind the condition of your spare tyre, if your spare is kept underneath the vehicle instead of inside a recess in the boot, be aware that it will be exposed to the elements and may get damaged over time. You may want to buy a cover or wrap a plastic sheet around it to make sure nothing damages the tyre for when you will need it.
If you get in to a routine of checking your tyres regularly, then you will notice any developing damage or problems which could prevent breakdowns, collisions and other accidents.
Whether you are after a new or used car make sure you consider all car finance options such as car credit before buying, you may be able to afford a safer, modern car that will keep you safe on the road.