If you were to ask any sample group of 1,000 motorists if they knew how important it was to look after their vehicle’s tyres, chances are all 1,000 would say they were very much aware of it. However, if you asked the same group to (honestly) answer whether or not they make any such efforts, at least 50% would probably say they simply don’t bother.
It’s generally not until a motorist is forced to call on the services of a mobile tyre fitting company at the worst possible juncture that they tend to give a second thought to the condition or safety of their tyres. Everyone knows that UK law requires tyres to be in a safe and usable condition at all times, but it’s still the kind of thing that’s wholly overlooked and taken for granted as something that doesn’t warrant any real attention. Sadly, this is exactly the kind of attitude that leads to hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries on the roads every year – most of which could be easily prevented.
As such, it’s always worth revisiting the simplest and most important pointers of all, which can when combined help build toward better road safety for the public in general. So, if you cannot honestly say you’re regularly keeping tabs on the following, chances are it’s only a matter of time until you become or cause another painful statistic:
Tyre Pressures
It probably goes without saying that of all simple tyre checks, pressure checks are the simplest and indeed the most important. The trouble here however is that most vehicle owners seem to think it’s as easy as giving the tyres a literal kick to see if they feel solid enough, then assuming things are just fine. In reality however a kick will tell you nothing – safe and sensible pressure checks must incorporate the following:
- Extra check when the weather is particularly cold or hot
- Weekly tyre pressure checks which include the front and back tyres
- Checks of the spare tyre in case it is called for
- Pressure checks before any long journey at all
- Ensuring pressure is adjusted in accordance with the seasons and road conditions
Pressure checks take just seconds to carry out and all necessary adjustments can be made just as quickly. Of course, if unsure about the correct pressure or how to check your tyres, you can always ask at your local garage or even speak to the attendant at the local petrol station.
Tread Depth
According to UK law, the minimum tread depth allowed for any vehicle travelling on UK roads is 1mm. However, this does NOT mean that it’s a good idea to wait until your tyres hit the 1mm threshold before buying new ones. In fact, tyre safety experts insist that the moment you begin to edge anywhere near this limit, the time has come to upgrade your tyres.
This is important for two reasons – the first of which being legality. Should you drift even fractionally under the minimum depth limit and find yourself pulled over by the police, you’ll be facing a huge fine and penalty points for driving illegally. Not only this, but the guidelines exist for one reason and one reason alone – road safety. When tyres don’t have enough tread, they don’t have enough traction on the road and thus the driver’s control over the vehicle is vastly reduced.
General Tyre Condition
Along with these specific and measurable checks, it’s also important to keep a watch over the general condition of the tyres on a constant basis. This is often where the biggest of grey areas lie for most drivers, though can be broken down into the following common-sense elements:
- Make sure that wheels are not allowed to get too dirty over time as this can impede performance.
- If there are any stones or other debris embedded in the tread or anywhere else, these should be removed.
- Keep valves as clean as possible and ensure caps remain on to ensure optimum performance.
- Visit a garage for professional wheel alignment from time to time as all vehicles are susceptible to alignment problems resulting from day to day driving.
- When a tyre or wheel is changed manually, it must be professionally balanced by a mechanic in order to ensure its optimum performance and safety.
Tyre safety is a relatively easy subject on the whole and one that deserves to be taken seriously by all road users. If in doubt, speak to your local mechanic or tyre fitter for more information and guidance.
