Safety tips for taking care of your car tyres at home
Parenting

Safety tips for taking care of your car tyres at home

Many of us will have or will already be planning the trips that we can make this Spring and Summer, and some of these trips will involve travelling by car. However it’s not all about the holiday planning, it’s also about making sure that your car is safe to travel on the road, particularly the car tyres.

There are over 1,200 road casualties every year that are a result of tyre related accidents. That’s a scary figure and one that can be reduced by carrying out simple tyre safety checks before getting your family into the vehicle and heading off on a long journey.

Many tyre related accidents are caused by underinflated or uneven tyres. It is known that underinflated tyres can have an impact on handling and grip of the car, and could lead to rapid deflation especially when travelling at high speeds on the motorway.

It is also known that having your car tyre pressure set incorrectly will cause uneven wear and tear, that could result in the centre or the outer of the tyre wearing away quicker.

Fortunately many new cars these days will tell you if your car tyres are incorrectly inflated. If you get a warning pop up before you’re about to set off on your journey, never ignore it, always get it checked out.

Safety tips for taking care of your car tyres at home

Car Tyre Safety Tips

Here are some top tips that you can do to check the safety of car tyres at home.

  • Check that you have set the correct tyre pressure to the load that you are carrying. Load is referred to as the number of people and all the luggage that you are carrying in the car. Simply read the manual or check the back of your petrol/diesel cap. This will tell you what the tyre pressure needs to be based on number people and luggage. Then check your tyre pressure at home or at a petrol station. If it’s underflated, add some extra air to your tyres.
  • Check that your tyres treads are to the correct depth. They should be at least 1.6mm. To do this simple insert a 20p into the main grooves across the centre. If the rim of the coin is close to being visible or is visible then your tyres are probably illegal. So it’s best to think about getting them changed if you’re about to make a long journey.
  • Check that there are no lumps or bumps in your tyres before setting off. Again this is really simple to do, and involves a visual observation of your car tyres. This can be done at home, and all it takes is a few minutes of your time.

Lastly never ever purchase used or part-used tyres. It is legal to do this, but to be on the safe side and to never ever put your family in danger always purchase brand new tyres.

If in any doubt then book your car in for a service or tyre check at a garage. They will carry out all the necessary checks for you, and advise if you need new tyres. At Iverson Tyres, you can buy durable tyres of any size, that are legal and are the correct tyre for your car.

Are you planning any trips in your car this Spring and Summer? If you are then make sure you have checked your tyres first.

Claire x

Safety tips for taking care of your car tyres at home

This is a collaborative post. 

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