Your tyres are in constant contact with the road; they suffer a lot of wear and tear, even if you drive carefully. Therefore, it’s vital that you keep an eye on the condition of your tyres.
Regular tyre safety checks reduce the risks of an incident while on the roads but an estimated one-in-five drivers have never checked the tread on their tyres, a startling number which rises to one-in-three among young drivers. Checking and maintaining tyres also reduces the cost of motoring as underinflated tyres will wear quicker and cause the vehicle to use more fuel. So this year, during Tyre Safe month, the question being asked of drivers is “What’s Stopping You?”
The question What’s Stopping You? not only reminds the drivers and riders of the benefits and importance of tyre checks but also carries the literal message that, as the only point of contact between the road and the vehicle, it is tyres which are crucial for safe and effective braking and cornering.
Make sure you check your tyres at least once a month every month, and before long journeys. There are three key areas of routine tyre maintenance:
Air pressure; Condition; and Tread depth – ACT
- Air pressure: Use an accurate tyre pressure gauge to check tyres’ air pressure is at the recommended settings. Check the vehicles owner’s handbook or fuel filler cap
- Condition: Lumps or bulges in a tyre may indicate internal damage and increase the risk of a catastrophic failure. If these, or cuts and cracks, are found while checking a tyre, the tyre may need replacing and professional advice should be sought.
- Tread depth: Tread depth should be checked with an accurate gauge to ensure it is above the minimum legal limit of 1.6mm. If you don’t have an accurate tread depth gauge, a 20p can be used as a guide to how close your tread is to the limit if you don’t have a tread depth gauge available.
Find out more about Routine Tyre Checks and if Your Tyres Are Safe on the Share the Road to Zero website.
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