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Date Posted: 26 September 2024
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Tyres are often an overlooked piece of regular motoring maintenance checks at home. It’s recommended that we check our tyre condition at least once per month, or before setting off on large journeys.
Checking your tyres ensures your safety is not compromised, performance is optional, and fuel efficiency is maximised. After all, the tyres are the only part of your car which are in contact with the road surface.
October has been known as Tyre Safety Month since 2010. This UK wide initiative promotes the importance of taking care of your tyres and checking for any dangers such as worn, damaged or under-inflated tyres.
To stay safe on the road your car needs to have the correct tyre pressure. If the tyres are under or over inflated then handling and grip will worsen, potentially causing irregular or unpredictable vehicle behaviour.
Most modern vehicles come equipped with Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS). These systems will alert you when a change in pressure is detected via a warning light/message on the dashboard. More advanced systems will even allow you to check what the current pressure is across all four tyres. For vehicles without TPMS systems, it is recommended to check your pressure monthly using the right tools such as an air compressor.
Your tyre pressure depends on the amount of air that has been pumped into your tyre. It is measured in psi, bar or kPa. Your vehicle manufacturer recommends the suitable pressure for your tyres. Typically, you can find the correct tyre pressure for your vehicle on the driver’s side door frame, fuel flap or within your owner’s manual. When adding air to your tyre, ensure that you have the correct pressure set, if possible, to reduce risk of over-inflation.
Under inflated tyres are more likely to suffer from premature wear on the outside edges of the tyre. The wheel rim and tyre will be more susceptible to impact damage too.
Over inflated tyres result in less control of handling and braking, as a reduced area is in contact with the road. Tyres are more likely to suffer from premature wear on the middle tread of the tyre.
The benefits of a properly inflated tyre include improved control of the vehicle, reduced overall running costs and a longer tyre lifespan.
Your tyres are constantly in contact with the road and as a result they suffer a lot of wear and tear. This is why it is important that you keep an eye on the condition of your tyres. Tyres should be examined frequently, checking for embedded objects, slices, lumps, or bulges. If you notice your tyre is showing any signs of imperfections, please visit one of our dealerships or tyre specialist as soon as possible.
Tyre treads are designed to keep the tyre in contact with the road in wet weather. Typically, the deeper the tyre tread, the more water a tyre can clear from the road surface helping to maintain grip. As tread wears down, or as the depth of water increases, less grip is provided. Drivers should take this into consideration and reduce their speed accordingly in wet conditions to avoid aquaplaning.
The legal minimum tread depth for cars in the UK is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre. However, you should not risk waiting to replace them until the last minute as a significant amount of tread can be worn in just one emergency manoeuvre. In testing, the difference in wet braking distances for cars with 3mm of tyre tread and 1.6mm of tyre tread increased by up to 44%. It is therefore advisable to consider replacing your tyres well before they reach the legal tyre tread limit.
If you notice uneven wear across the tread pattern, it is worth visiting our dealerships to have this investigated as it could point to faults within other components with your vehicle such as the suspension or wheel alignment.
It is important to have your wheel alignment checked and adjusted so that the wheel angles match that of the manufacturer's specification. The wheel alignment influences the handling characteristics, ensuring your vehicle handles as expected.
Signs that you require a wheel alignment service are:
Completing a wheel alignment comes with many benefits, such as:
It’s important to check all tyres – including your spare tyre if supplied with your vehicle.
Modern cars may also be equipped with emergency puncture repair kits. It is important to inspect the canister supplied with the kit, to ensure that it has not passed its expiry date. The function of the compact air compressor should also be checked alongside this too.
Summer tyres are designed and engineered with a specific tread pattern for peak performance on both dry and wet roads when the air temperature is above 7°C. This is the most commonly fitted tyre type.
Winter tyres also known as cold weather tyres, are specially developed to provide additional driving performance in winter conditions below 7°C. In both wet and icy conditions, you will benefit from their superior grip and handling.
All season tyres also known as all-weather tyres, provide a hybrid between summer and winter tyres - perfect for keeping drivers firmly on the road come rain, snow, or shine. While all season car tyres are not likely to match the performance of specialist summer or winter tyres during these respective seasons, they provide a good all-round mix of strengths.
Run flat tyres are designed in a way to remain operational in the event of a puncture or a severe loss of air pressure allowing you to make it to safety. Run flat tyres also reduce the risk of tyre blow outs which could be dangerous and a risk to the safety of the driver and other road users if they occur at speed. Punctured run flat tyres are only designed for short journeys to have remedial work completed.
Contact our Dealerships for any concerns you may have regarding your tyre condition.
A member of our teams will be more than happy to assist you and can provide you with quotes on any tyres which may be required.
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