No matter how expensive or high spec your vehicle is, if even one tyre is not fully roadworthy you risk losing your life - after all the only thing holding that car on the road is the tyres.
It's possible to do your own tyre checks at home so here are three tips on how to check your tyres to help keep you and any passengers safe on the road. You might save some money along the way!
1. Check Tyre Pressure. Under or over inflated tyres are equally dangerous. Invest a few pennies at your local petrol station or even better, spend between £10-20 and buy a car tyre inflator to keep and use at home.
Every vehicle can have slightly different tyre pressure which can also vary depending on load. Just you driving an otherwise empty car requires a different pressure to a fully loaded vehicle with heavy suitcases in the boot.
You can find tyre pressure figures for your vehicle in the manual which came with the car. Bought th car second hand and missing the manual? Look online where most car manuals are available free in pdf format. Many modern cars have a sticker listing the tyre pressures on the door frame - check you car to see if that's the case for your car.
Having your tyres at the correct pressure will not only keep you and your passengers safe but will give a better drive and ride experience and will almost certainly save you fuel and therefore money!
2. Check Tread. Often a simple visual inspection will give you clue that your tyres are worn. Bald areas means your tyres could actually give out at any moment which could be catastrophic, especially at full speed.
Very low tread is quite obvious but borderline cases can be checked with the old 20p piece trick. Insert a 20 pence piece into the valley between the tread areas and if you can see any of the border around the coin, your tread is too low and your tyre could be dangerous and illegal and needs to be replaced.
3. Check for damage. During your visual check of the tyre tread, look for bulges on the tyre walls, cuts or chunks missing and other damage to the tyre material.
Often this damage is caused by clipping a kerb, driving over pot holes or uneven roads and car parks. You probably won't even realise your minor kerb bump or that bumpy ride has caused any damage but obvious damage to tyres can render them dangerous.
Do these checks weekly - it should only take a couple of minutes. If there are any issues with the tread or any of your tyres show signs of damage it's best to get them checked over by a tyre specialist and, most likely, replaced to ensure your continuing safety.
You could get tyres at economical prices from Elite Direct Tyres Brentwood Branch or from your local trusted supplier.
It sounds like a chore to be checking your tyres weekly but you could end up saving money or even your life. That's got to be worth the effort right?
It's possible to do your own tyre checks at home so here are three tips on how to check your tyres to help keep you and any passengers safe on the road. You might save some money along the way!
1. Check Tyre Pressure. Under or over inflated tyres are equally dangerous. Invest a few pennies at your local petrol station or even better, spend between £10-20 and buy a car tyre inflator to keep and use at home.
Every vehicle can have slightly different tyre pressure which can also vary depending on load. Just you driving an otherwise empty car requires a different pressure to a fully loaded vehicle with heavy suitcases in the boot.
You can find tyre pressure figures for your vehicle in the manual which came with the car. Bought th car second hand and missing the manual? Look online where most car manuals are available free in pdf format. Many modern cars have a sticker listing the tyre pressures on the door frame - check you car to see if that's the case for your car.
Having your tyres at the correct pressure will not only keep you and your passengers safe but will give a better drive and ride experience and will almost certainly save you fuel and therefore money!
2. Check Tread. Often a simple visual inspection will give you clue that your tyres are worn. Bald areas means your tyres could actually give out at any moment which could be catastrophic, especially at full speed.
Very low tread is quite obvious but borderline cases can be checked with the old 20p piece trick. Insert a 20 pence piece into the valley between the tread areas and if you can see any of the border around the coin, your tread is too low and your tyre could be dangerous and illegal and needs to be replaced.
3. Check for damage. During your visual check of the tyre tread, look for bulges on the tyre walls, cuts or chunks missing and other damage to the tyre material.
Often this damage is caused by clipping a kerb, driving over pot holes or uneven roads and car parks. You probably won't even realise your minor kerb bump or that bumpy ride has caused any damage but obvious damage to tyres can render them dangerous.
Do these checks weekly - it should only take a couple of minutes. If there are any issues with the tread or any of your tyres show signs of damage it's best to get them checked over by a tyre specialist and, most likely, replaced to ensure your continuing safety.
You could get tyres at economical prices from Elite Direct Tyres Brentwood Branch or from your local trusted supplier.
It sounds like a chore to be checking your tyres weekly but you could end up saving money or even your life. That's got to be worth the effort right?
*Collaborative post.