So who cares about their car tyres, they are black, round and dirty and a nuisance when punctured, why should we give a second thought to our car tyres once we drive out of the dealer forecourt?
Two important incentives immediately come to my mind, passenger safety and cash in our pockets.
PASSENGER SAFETY
Everyone who travels in our vehicle relies on the tyres to stop the car within a reasonable braking distance. Of course, how we drive makes a considerable difference to this, but even the best driver occasionally comes across a situation where they need to stop unexpectedly. Tyre tread depth (that is the amount of rubber left on your tyre) and tyre pressure (that is the amount of air in your tyre) both effect how well your tyre performs, both in everyday wear and tear and in the one-off emergency.
TREAD DEPTH
The law requires you maintain a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm otherwise you may be liable to penalty points on your driving licence. This tyre tread depth is the bare minimum and in wet weather it will take an average of 8 metres longer for a vehicle to stop at 50mph than with a tyre of 3mm tread depth. This can be the difference between having an accident and avoiding an accident.
TYRE PRESSURE
Tyre pressures should be checked weekly, on cold tyres. When your tyres are under or over inflated your brakes and steering may not react as you would expect. Get into the habit of checking your tyre pressures at the beginning of the week. Call in with us in A One, we will do this for you free of charge. If you are doing this yourself, you should check the manufacturer’s recommended tyre pressure for your vehicle (this information should be in your vehicle handbook). Tyre pressure may be different for front and back tyres and will depend on the load you are carrying. Of course, a journey with all your family’s luggage and 4 passengers in the car is likely to require a variation in tyre pressure from your normal work commute.
CASH IN OUR POCKETS
Everyone is watching the pennies these days. Taking care of our tyres pays off both in terms of safety and our household budgets. Ensuring correct tread and pressure in our tyres will mean getting more miles to the gallon from your tank. Tyres are responsible for about 20% of your car’s fuel consumption. For many of us, fuel has become a large part of our household spend. With fuel efficient tyres you can save as much as 3% on your fuel spend by putting on the right tyres. Michelin produces a range of Energy Saver tyres. Pirelli are also one of the manufacturers that have come out on top with regard to savings on fuel according to independent testing by Which? magazine.
FINALLY
… don’t forget about your spare tyre (if you have one). When you need a spare tyre, you really need a spare tyre and there is nothing more annoying than discovering by the roadside that your spare tyre is flat or not road worthy.
So yes, everyone should take care of their tyres and their tyres will take care of them … if you need help with anything in this blog please contact me at our Dromore depot or leave your comment below.
