As one of the most important features on your vehicle, the condition of your tyres could be what lies between you and a nasty accident. When it comes down to tyres, what are the most significant things you can be doing to help eliminate risks and increase your safety on the road?
Check tyres regularly. It is recommended that you check your tyres every 2-4 weeks, particularly if you travel a lot of kilometres. Your tyre checks should include, air pressure checks and visual examinations for damage or wear.
Only check tyre pressure when they are cold and you are in a safe place to do so. To ensure an accurate reading you must only perform tyre checks when your tyres are completely cold. This is because the air pressure within the tyres will temporarily rise with the heat resulting in an inaccurate reading which may lead you to setting an incorrect tyre pressure.
Check your wheel alignment. Poor wheel alignment can cause a number of issues when driving resulting in a reduction of overall control. Telltale signs that your wheels may need to be realigned by a specialist include irregular tyre wear as well as your vehicle veering off to the side. Maintaining correctly aligned wheels reduces wear and ensures your vehicle is travelling in the direction you intend it to!
Always include your spare in checks. If you do happen to find yourself in the unfortunate situation where you need to replace your tyre, it is essential that your spare be up to scratch and can safely transport you to your nearest Tyres & More store. Driving on a faulty spare can lead to a number of incidents that can directly put you and other road users in danger.
Familiarise yourself with how to change a tyre. Following on from checking that your spare tyre is roadworthy it is important that you know how to correctly change a tyre. Check out our simple step-by-step guide on how to change your tyre here.
Try to replace tyres in fours. This ensures all four tyres are of an equal quality, age, brand, size and condition. Driving on odd tyres can impair your driving experience; reducing control, smoothness and grip. To ensure you experience premium driving conditions every time it is advised to replace tyres in fours using the same brand and model of tyre.
Rotate tyres for even wear. Tyre rotation is essential to ensure even wear and should be carried out regularly.
Inspect your tyres’ age. Overtime tyres deteriorate even though they may seem to be in an overall acceptable condition. Tyres older than six years should be inspected by a specialist for any signs of aging.
If in doubt get your tyres checked by a specialist! The tyre experts at Tyres and More will be able to perform an external and internal check to ensure your tyres meet legal requirements and advise if they need replacing.
