Prepare Your Tyres for Summer Driving!
19th July 2017Ensure that your tyres are legal and will keep you safe this summer by undertaking some simple tyre checks at home before heading on any long journeys!
Are You Using The Right Tyres?
It is important that you use the correct tyres for your vehicle – in fact, this is so important that you can fail your MOT test if you are not! Make sure you are using the correct size tyres for your vehicle by comparing the specified tyre size for your vehicle in your handbook with the tyre size printed on the sidewall of your tyres.
While not illegal, you should make sure that you have switched over from your winter tyres! Winter tyres cannot provide the safety and performance you require in warm conditions when temperatures reach a consistent average of 7°c. At this point, you should fit either summer or all season tyres.
Check Your Pressure!
You should be checking your tyre pressures every three weeks, and this is even more important in summer as hot weather can increase the air pressure inside your tyres! This means that if your tyres are over inflated when cold, they may be significantly over inflated when driving and this will impact your handling and increase your risk of suffering tyre damage.
Visit a local petrol station and use the tyre pressure gauge to check your tyre pressures match the recommended air pressure in your vehicle handbook and adjust if they are over or under inflated.
If you are heading on a break this summer it is important that you remember to adjust your tyre pressures to accommodate the increased load of your vehicle.
Inspect for Damage
You should visually inspect your tyres to make sure that they have not suffered damage whilst driving. If you do notice any of the following signs, you should visit your local Tyre Group branch for inspection as your tyre may have suffered structural damage and may be dangerous to drive on. Tyre damage you should look out for includes:
Small Cuts
Cuts and tears in the rubber of your tyre can be caused by general driving wear or due to kerbing or driving over a pothole. Some cuts and tears can be repaired but you must not attempt to fix these yourself as there could be damage to the internal structure of the tyre and you will need to have this checked by a specialist.
Large Cuts
Large cuts that expose the cords of the tyre are extremely dangerous and in some cases illegal – if you find this damage do not attempt to drive on your damaged tyre.
Lumps
Lumps in the tyre are an indication that your tyre has suffered internal damage and these unfortunately cannot be repaired.
Cracks
Cracks on the rubber of a tyre is often a sign that the tyre is ageing and becoming more brittle. This sign could indicate that your tyre will not be able to provide adequate grip and safety on the road. Get cracked tyres checked as soon as possible.
Measure Your Tread
If your tyres do not have sufficient tyre tread then your gripping capabilities will be reduced and braking distances will gradually increase, reducing your safety on the road. When tyre tread drops below 3mm you should have them replaced for your safety. The legal limit for tyre tread is 1.6mm and if you are found driving on tyres with tread lower than 1.6mm you could face a fine of upto £2,500 per illegal tyre.
You can check your tyre tread easily at home using a twenty pence coin. Simply insert the coin in to a tyre groove and ensure that you cannot see the outer band of the coin. Repeat this in a few different places on each tyre. If you can see the outer band of the coin then your tyres may be illegal.
Replace Your Tyres
If you do not feel confident that your tyres will keep you and your passengers’ safe on the road this summer you should replace them as soon as possible. Simply browse for new tyres and order online for a fitment at your local Tyre Group branch.
BACK TO ARTICLES
