Tyre safety matters. Whether you’re visiting North Wales or driving to Lands End, you need to make sure your tyres are ready for the journey; nobody wants a breakdown so far from home.

Why Tyre Safety Matters

Issues with tyres have been the second highest cause for vehicle collisions for the past six years, second only to defective brakes. This is significant because, unlike defective breaks, tyre issues can easily be spotted and prevented before you get in your vehicle.

Having fully-inflated tyres with suitable tread depth will not only greatly increase your safety on the road, but it will also improve your fuel economy and make driving smoother; a must for long journeys.

Checking Your Tread Depth

The legal minimum tread depth in the UK is 1.6mm. Ideally, you wouldn’t want your tread depth that low at all (consider replacing at 2-3 mm tread depth), but anything below 1.6mm is considered unsafe and not legally compliant. Tyres with poor grip are more susceptible to accidents because they are at greater risk of aquaplaning, have longer braking distances, and will struggle with sharp turns.

The easiest way to check the tread depth on your tyres is with the 20p trick. You do this by placing a 20p in the groves of your tyre and check whether you can still see the outer border of the 20p. If the border is still visible, your tread depth is below 1.6mm and your tyres are too worn to drive. Make sure to check all four of your tyres and both the inner and outer edges of the tyre as well as the centre as they may not all wear at the same rate. If you turn your steering wheel to full lock both ways it is much easier to check the inside edges of your front tyres.

Checking Your Tyre Pressure

Tyre pressure is a key part of general tyre safety, both in the short and long term. Low pressure can put you at risk of a tyre blowout as well as cause damage to your steering wheel and wheel alignment. You will also have worse fuel economy as low pressure forces your car to work harder when driving, leading to more service station stops, as you need to keep refuelling.

The easiest way to check tyre pressure yourself is to call into a petrol station where the equipment is readily available. It is important to check the pressures on all four tyres. If one tyre has significantly lower pressure than the others, this indicates damage to the tyre and means you should repair or replace it. If you would rather have a professional inspect your tyres, you can come into our garage for a free pressure check.

What to Look for in Tyre Condition

You should check your tyres for damage regularly, but especially before a long journey where you’ll be driving at high speeds and possibly down country roads. When inspecting your tyres, first check their tread depth and pressure, as previously mentioned, and also look for any visible signs of damage. This could be cracks in the rubber, as well as bulges or cuts, or foreign objects lodged in the tyres, such as nails or stones.

Even minor damage can cause serious safety issues, as a long journey will aggravate your tyres by repeatedly putting pressure on the issue, leading to an increase risk of a flat tyre and possibly a roadside accident.

Why Wheel Alignment Matters

Wheel alignment is the angle of your vehicle’s wheels, and includes the direction that all tyres face, their tilt relative to the ground, and their angle relative to your vehicle’s suspension. Tyres will naturally shift out of alignment with regular use, although this may happen sooner depending on your driving style. For example, if you regularly drive on the curb, take speed bumps too quickly, or live in an area with lots of potholes, your tyres will misalign sooner than average.

Misaligned wheels will cause uneven wear to your tyres, which means more trips to the garage to replace them, and will make driving less comfortable. If left untreated, misaligned wheels can also result in your car drifting, or veering to the side under heavy braking. You should therefore have your vehicle’s alignment checked as part of regular servicing, but if you believe your vehicle’s wheels are misaligned, you should have them inspected as soon as possible.

When to Replace Your Tyres

Most tyres should only need replacing after five to ten years, or sooner if there is damage. Tyre longevity can depend on several factors such as the vehicle type, driving habits, road conditions and the brand of tyre. Degradation will occur sooner if tyres are used more frequently, but equally, cars that are left idle for months at a time (such as caravans) are at risk of damage from pressure being put on one part of the tyre for too long. When you have your regular service, your garage will be able to tell you if your tyres need replacing or if they’re in good condition.

If you notice signs of damage such as minor cracks this does not mean you will automatically have to replace them. Before your long journey, we recommend coming in to our garage for a professional tyre inspection, so that our mechanics can advise you whether they are road worthy and provide a full report of your tread depths. This gives you the peace of mind that your vehicle is safe before a long trip, and can save you money by not replacing tyres prematurely, or by replacing dangerous tyres before they cause a costly accident.

If you want to have your tyres inspected, just give us a call to arrange.