It’ll come as no surprise that understanding the importance of safe tyres is vital to staying safe on the roads. Especially considering they are the only part of a vehicle that touches the road.
In more recent years, taking essential steps to keep them road safe (for yourself and other drivers), has joined the list of common vehicle maintenance checks.
With that said, here are some top tips for ensuring your tyres are ready for the road!
Tyre Pressure
A common problem is under-inflated tyres on a vehicle. Not only can this harm fuel-consumption (meaning it’s costing you even more to run your car), it contributes to a number of other negative impacts. They can wear much quicker and may even affect your speed.
Many modern vehicles come equipped with a TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System). This system will notify of any changes to the air pressure of your tyres, so you can correct any issues. However, it is often recommended that a monthly tyre pressure check is conducted to ensure they are inflated properly. It’s also a good idea to test the tyre pressure before heading off on a long journey in your car.
Tread Depth
Moving on to the tread depth, this is another great maintenance check to ensure safe tyres. But that’s not all, as a tread depth below 2mm means your tyres are completely illegal.
To avoid breaking the law and keep your tyres safe, the classic 20p test can help! Simply take a twenty-pence piece and insert the coin between the grooves of your vehicles’ tyre. If the outer-rim of the twenty pence is visible, this indicates a couple of things. Firstly, the tread-depth is far too low and secondly, your car could be driving on illegal tyres. Either indication means you should have your tyres checked or make any necessary tyre replacements.
Like tyre pressure, this is another tyre maintenance you should make monthly to ensure safe tyres. Another quick tip is to test a minimum of three different areas of the same tyre instead of one single groove.
Tyre Age
The age of your tyres also plays a role in ensuring safe tyres are fitted to your vehicle. Regardless of perfect tread, tyres that are much older can suffer as the rubber can oxidise. The impact this has means the tyres can start drying out and cracking. However, this is most common in vehicles that aren’t regularly driving.
One of the best ways to make the most of this tip is by having a professional conduct regular checks on tyres over six years old. This way you can make sure your vehicle has safe tyres and is ready for the road!
Hopefully you find these tyre maintenance tips useful and have learned the importance of tyre safety when looking to check on the tread depth, tyre pressure or understanding the issues older tyres have.
