*This is a collaborative post.
When you’re a driver, it’s really easy to forget to one to check one key part of the car. We’re all pretty decent at checking under the bonnet to top up water and oil but it’s so easy to overlook your tyre safety. I’m sure we’ve all had warnings on our MOT’s for tyres at some point in our driving lifetime so I’m here today to share a few tips on how to ensure your tyres will keep your driving safe.
Check the Pressure Regularly
It’s really easy for you tyres to go below the recommended pressure. In fact, I once had to help a friend check his tyre pressure for the first time since buying a car and it was down to 9, where it was meant to be around 27! Each car will need different tyre pressure so please check before you just go pumping them up. We always check before we go on long drives, especially if we are heading to festivals as the car will be very packed up so we may need to up the pressure in the back tyres a little.
Check for Damage and Unusual Wear and Tear
If you’ve not driven your car in a while, or you’ve had extreme weather it’s well worth checking for any damage that’s occurred during the time your car has just sat. It’s also worth checking after long drives as some road surfaces aren’t that kind to your tyres.
Make sure there is Enough Tread
The easiest way to check that your tyre tread is over the 3mm legal requirement is the 20p coin trick! You will need to insert a 20p coin into the lowest tread depth of your tyres and if you can’t see the outer rim around the edge of the coin, then your tyre is safe. If you can see the rim then your tyre tread is less than the legal requirement and it’s likely you’re going to need a new tyre. If this is the case, then Elite Tyres is the all in one solution to all your car-related problems, you can book tyres online and get them delivered to your doorstep with a few clicks.
Don’t Overload your Car
When I was driving my little Audi TT, it would tell you the tyre pressure needed if you had different amounts of people and suitcases in the car, so it’s worth checking to see if your car has similar. This will give you an idea of how much weight your car can carry so you don’t overload it.
Keep your Wheels Aligned
It’s rather easy to knock your wheels and they may longer be aligned. To check this you will need to go to a tyre specialist as machinery is needed. It’s a quick job and well worth checking as often as you can.
Be Mindful when Mounting the Kerb
The final tip is to just be mindful when parking up on kerbs as knocking your tyres can damage your tread, alloys and knock your wheels out of alignment. If possible, always mount the kerb where it’s dropped to minimalise impact.
What’re your top tips for maintaining healthy tyres?
I'm Squibb Vicious, better known as Haydy!
Happiest with a craft beer in hand, eating til my heart is content or exploring somewhere new.
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Tyres are actually so important, I only realised how bad mine were when I got told by a friend changing them made such a huge difference! So thankful I found out thanks for sharing such an important post.