Have you ever been walking or driving along a street and heard the distinctive screech of a car braking suddenly? Have you ever been in the car and braced yourself for what feels like an inevitable impact. That's when the importance of well maintained tyres becomes brutally obvious.
It's all too easy to put off checking tyres and when you get that advisory from the MOT garage that your tyres are nearing the end of their useful life it's too tempting to delay replacing them "for a couple of weeks" especially if you've just paid out for work on your vehicle.
Checking your tyres is a chore, no-one argues with that. But it's up there with checking your smoke alarm, carbon monoxide detector and brakes as they are all things that can save your life.
A weekly walk round takes seconds and you should be looking for bald patches, uneven wear, nails or similar embedded, bulges on the tyre sides and chunks of tyre material missing.
Damage can occur to tyres if you clip a kerb, drive over a pothole or bump up a kerb to park. Many lumps and chunks missing are harmless but if you spot any change to your tyres you should take your car along to a tyre expert to get them professionally checked.
Don't forget the spare either - regularly check that it's still inflated correctly and in good condition, especially if it's stored underneath your vehicle.
Sometimes tyres can be repaired but since they are the one thing holding your car to the road and could mean the difference between the inconvenience of a minor prang or a major collision it's often safer to change a dodgy tyre for a new safe one.
Buying tyres can be complicated. It's not just a case of picking round black things on price. Many online sites will just ask for your car registration and will recommend tyres suitable for that vehicle. That makes it seem simpler but you should always check what tyres are already on your vehicle by looking at the series of numbers and letters on the side of each tyre.
However even matching them up can prove to be a wrong move if you own a previously used vehicle. I once bought a car from a dealer and during an MOT my local mechanic told me that the tyres were not only mismatched but completely wrong for my vehicle and the way I wanted to use it.
The sneaky so and so's had swapped off the good quality tyres that were on it when I viewed it and it didn't occur to me to check them when I picked it up!
If in any doubt about your ability to buy the right tyres for your car, head for your local tyre specialist. The right choice of tyres can even save you money so it can be cost effective in the long run.
Buying tyres in Basingstoke has never been so easy. With Headley Tyres you can book your tyres within clicks.
Not close to Basingstoke? Ask friends and family which providers they have used. Sometimes independent garages can prove more reliable and cheaper than the big named brands so don't assume that the branded centres will always be the best bet.
My final tip would be to make sure you have at least basic coverage with a roadside recovery service unless you are confident about changing a tyre. Unexpected punctures always seem to come at the most inconvenient times and I've been saved a couple of times by my rescue service.
It's all too easy to put off checking tyres and when you get that advisory from the MOT garage that your tyres are nearing the end of their useful life it's too tempting to delay replacing them "for a couple of weeks" especially if you've just paid out for work on your vehicle.
Checking your tyres is a chore, no-one argues with that. But it's up there with checking your smoke alarm, carbon monoxide detector and brakes as they are all things that can save your life.
A weekly walk round takes seconds and you should be looking for bald patches, uneven wear, nails or similar embedded, bulges on the tyre sides and chunks of tyre material missing.
Damage can occur to tyres if you clip a kerb, drive over a pothole or bump up a kerb to park. Many lumps and chunks missing are harmless but if you spot any change to your tyres you should take your car along to a tyre expert to get them professionally checked.
Don't forget the spare either - regularly check that it's still inflated correctly and in good condition, especially if it's stored underneath your vehicle.
Sometimes tyres can be repaired but since they are the one thing holding your car to the road and could mean the difference between the inconvenience of a minor prang or a major collision it's often safer to change a dodgy tyre for a new safe one.
Buying tyres can be complicated. It's not just a case of picking round black things on price. Many online sites will just ask for your car registration and will recommend tyres suitable for that vehicle. That makes it seem simpler but you should always check what tyres are already on your vehicle by looking at the series of numbers and letters on the side of each tyre.
However even matching them up can prove to be a wrong move if you own a previously used vehicle. I once bought a car from a dealer and during an MOT my local mechanic told me that the tyres were not only mismatched but completely wrong for my vehicle and the way I wanted to use it.
The sneaky so and so's had swapped off the good quality tyres that were on it when I viewed it and it didn't occur to me to check them when I picked it up!
If in any doubt about your ability to buy the right tyres for your car, head for your local tyre specialist. The right choice of tyres can even save you money so it can be cost effective in the long run.
Buying tyres in Basingstoke has never been so easy. With Headley Tyres you can book your tyres within clicks.
Not close to Basingstoke? Ask friends and family which providers they have used. Sometimes independent garages can prove more reliable and cheaper than the big named brands so don't assume that the branded centres will always be the best bet.
My final tip would be to make sure you have at least basic coverage with a roadside recovery service unless you are confident about changing a tyre. Unexpected punctures always seem to come at the most inconvenient times and I've been saved a couple of times by my rescue service.