It’s Tyre Safety Month – Make Sure You Check Your’s!

October is Tyre Safety Month, which is part of UK road safety charity TyreSafe’s annual campaign to help increase awareness of the risks caused by driving around with unsafe tyres, in a bid to encourage British motorists to check their tyres more regularly for signs of wear and damage.

Driving around on poorly maintained or damaged tyres can cause numerous issues from simply increasing your vehicle’s fuel consumption, to causing a potentially fatal traffic collision, if your defective tyre ends up “blowing out” whilst driving.

TyreSafe recommends that all motorists should be thoroughly checking their vehicle’s tyres at least once a month, and after any tyre “knocks”, such as when you hit a pothole  or curb whilst driving.

Here are our top 3 simple tyre checks you can do yourself:

1. Tread depth – it is easy to look at your tyre tread and observe whether there is a safe amount of tread left on your tyres. The British legal tread depth limit 1.6mm, but especially in adverse weather conditions, such as rain, ice or snow, it is advisable to have a sufficiently larger tread depth to help keep your tyres in contact with the road surface and reduce the risk of losing traction or aquaplaning.
2. Tyre Condition – tyre surfaces should be checked all-round for any signs of unexpected wear or damage. Things to look out for include splits, lumps and bulges, along with objects such as nails and stones which may be stuck in the rubber. If you notice any of these issues, or anything else which doesn’t quite look right, it’s always best to get your tyres inspected by a professional.
3. Air Pressure – your vehicle manufacturer should provide you with an ideal range for your car’s tyre pressure in your vehicle handbook or manual. You can check that your air pressure is within the recommended range by using an accurate tyre pressure gauge which can be found at most good petrol stations, where you can also easily top up your tyres with some additional air if required.