Tyre Safety
Your tyres are your only contact with the road. The area of contact is as small as a sole of a shoe for each tyre. Tyres will not grip properly and safely, unless they are in good condition.
They can easily become damaged. Make sure you check for wear and tear, replacing them when necessary.
The penalties for using faulty tyres or tyres beyond the minimum legal tread depth are very severe. They may include a fixed fine up to £2500 and driving licence endorsements.
Checks on Your Tyres
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Check that the walls of the tyres are free from cuts and bulge's. DO NOT forget the inner walls.
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The legal requirement is not less than 1.6mm tread depth. Check all your tyres have a good depth of tread, right across and all around them.
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Have the wheel alignment, balancing, suspension and braking system checked. If there's a fault, get it put right as soon as possible.
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DO NOT let grease and oil stay on your tyres.
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Remove any stones, glass etc caught in the tread as they may cause damage
Tyre Pressure
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Check your tyre pressure regularly, at least once a week.
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Use a reliable gauge and follow the manufacturers guide for the correct tyre pressure.
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Check your tyres and adjust the pressure when they are cold
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DO NOT forget the spare tyre.
REMEMBER, it is an offence to use a car with a tyre not properly inflated.
Replacing Tyres
It is not safe to put radial ply tyres at the front with cross ply tyres at the rear. It is an offence to mix cross and radial ply tyres on the same axle. Keep the same type all round, all cross ply or all radial. If in doubt obtain the advice of a tyre expert.
Extending the Life of your Tyres
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Check tyre pressures
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Avoid driving over pot-holes and broken road surface or slow down if they can not be avoided.
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DO NOT Drive over kerbs or scrape the wheel along them as this will damage the wall of the tyre and could cause a blow out later.
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Hitting the kerb can also affect the tracking of the front wheels
If in doubt, visit us, your local tyre expert.
