Before heading on any journey, particularly long ones, it’s vital you ensure your car is in top nick. Here is your everyday guide to tyre safety…
Busy in our everyday routine, we often forget to take care of things that need the most care and attention. It’s not our car that bears all of our load, rather it’s our tyres! We take out our car and make it to our workplaces every day without even knowing whether our tyres are in a suitable condition to do so or not. Now you might be thinking how would I know about my tyre’s condition? Here’s an article to let you know about all the easy and quick tyre safety checks that you can perform yourself and remain safe!
The 20p Test
Checking your tyre tread is one of the most important checks that should be performed at least every time before going on a long drive. Tyre tread is directly linked to a driver’s safety as it affects the tyre’s grip on road. In order to confirm that your tyre tread meets the legal minimum of 1.6mm, use a 20p coin and insert it into the tread grooves on your tyres. If you’re unable to see the outer band on the coin, then your tyres are above the legal limit. On the other hand, if you can see the outer band on the coin then your tyres are apparently unsafe and should be inspected by a professional right away.
Keep a check on your Tyre Pressure
Maintaining the right tyre pressure increases the longevity of your tyres. Over pressured or under pressured tyres can be unsafe to drive along with. To know the optimum pressure for your tyres, open the driver’s door and look for the tyre information card on the doorjamb. Read the tyre pressure required for your tyres from that card. The optimum pressure is usually between 30-35 PSI. A tyre pressure gauge is then required to check the tyre pressure. If you have it, then your job is done! If not, that’s not a problem too as its easily available at many tyre shops for free! You can also get a free tyre pressure check from any of the nearby garages.
Visual Inspection is a must!
As easy and unimportant as it may sound, but visually inspecting your tyres is extremely important and can save you from a lot of trouble. Again, you can do this yourself too! After every drive, just look out carefully for any bulges, cracks, and cuts on the tyre or tyre tread. Any such unusual crack or cut is not normal and should be checked by a professional right away.
Change your tyre according to the seasons.
Checking tyre tread or tyre pressure will not help if you do not have the right pair of tyres. Summer tyres will not perform well in winters and winter tyres will not perform well in summers. Summer and winter tyres both serve their own purpose in their respective seasons and play their part in keeping the drive and the passengers safe. Therefore, when we talk about tyre safety it is important to know that your tyres should be changed according to the changing seasons.
With these quick and easy tyre safety tips, we hope that by now you’re all tyre aware! For more information on tyre safety or for any professional guidance, visit Headley Tyres, Basingstoke branch. You can also get the tyres best suited for your vehicle from their garage!
