In Ice Roads can be Treacherous this is how you Should Check your Tyres.
One thing I told my newly driving son is to take care when on the road and to always check his tyres
Not only can they help keep you safe but it’s also illegal to have poor not functioning or faulty tyres. So you should check your tyres regularly to avoid accidents and also a hefty fine.
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The roads around Essex certainly can get bumpy especially the country roads. Even City roads can take a beating, my friend Sarahs son has also just started driving and she said Manchester can be tricky. Even down to traffic Manchester and London and any city in the UK in fact have heavy traffic. There are extra bikes, buses and pedestrians on the roads so you have to keep your wits about you. More traffic means more pot holes and more road wear and tear. Taking care of your tyres and getting the right tyres in the first place is so important.
When purchasing your first car you often overlook some of the most important things! Tyres is most definitely one of them!
Your tyres are your priority but are important to the efficiency of your car and to keep you safe. Under inflated tyres are prone to overheating and if over inflated they can cause real problems with steering and driving. Stopping distances can be greatly reduced if your tyres are worn or damaged. All of this could lead to a greater chance of a collision.
The first thing is make sure you have bought good quality tyres and care for them appropriately.
So here are my top tips for maintaining your tyres and keeping yourself safe on the roads.
Maintain good driving habits according to the weather and the traffic around you
In wet conditions you will have less road grip and braking performance. Of course you should also take care in icy weather and maybe even look at getting winter tyres. Your stopping distances are longer especially as your tread starts to reach the legal minimum. The Highway Code recommends that in wet conditions drivers should double the distance between their car and the car in front and also reduce their speed.
Check the pressure of your tyres
Always maintain the tyre pressure according to the vehicle or tyre manufacturer’s recommendations. You can find the recommendations in the vehicle handbook or on a small sign in the door of the vehicle or in the fuel filler cap. Almost all petrol stations have an air machine you can use with clear instructions. Use your vehicle handbook for help and try and check your pressure every 2 weeks.
Check the tread
In the interests of safety and legality, drivers should not risk letting their tyres go below the legal minimum tread depth of 1.6mm.
How do I check the tread of my tyres?
You can check the tread of your tyre by Inserting a 20p coin into the lowest tread depth of your tyre. If you can’t see the outer rim of the edge of the coin then your tyre is safe and correct and has the required 3mm minimum of tread depth. If you can see the rim of the 20 pence piece then your tyre tread is less than 3mm and could be dangerous so you need to check it with an expert.
Check for damage and wear and tear
Check for damage such as cuts unusual bulges. Look for foreign objects stuck in such as nails or stones. Check any damage found with a tyre professional to find out if it needs replacing. Also take in to account how old you tyre are and check for cracks.
Check your tyres after you hit a pot hole or mount a kerb for damage also.
Keep your wheels aligned
Tyres are produced with great care to produce uniform products. However sometimes these may not be accurate. To make sure your tyre is correct and even aligned you will need to have the wheel unit balanced after tyre replacement. Unbalanced tyres can cause bumpy driving or pulling to one side. How do I get my tyre changed?
Where can I get my tyres fitted?
It is essential that the replacement tyre is compatible with the other tyres on the vehicle. You need a trusted tyre professional to check that the tyre size and its full service description match the tyre being replaced. Never mix your tyres both tyres should be the same on one axel.
