How to care for your car tyres

Ensuring your car tyres are in good condition for the road are crucial for your safety, vehicle efficiency and longevity of the tyre. Here is a short guide to caring for your tyres and how to get the most of out of them from your friends at Underwoods Motoring.​

Tyre Pressure​

The tyre pressure is defined by the vehicle you are driving. The correct pressure (or PSI) can be found either in your vehicle documents, online or often displayed on the inside of the driver side door or fuel flap.

Most cars will identify on the dashboard if there is an issue with tyre pressure, but it is always best to check your pressure levels regularly. Use a pressure gauge or pump with a gauge once a month or before long trips.

Always follow the manufacturers recommended PSI levels. These may also differ based upon the number of passengers and road conditions.

If your tyres are underinflated, they will wear out quicker and increase your cars fuel consumption. So keeping the pressure right will save money in the long run. Overinflated tyres will make the ride uncomfortable and reduce your grip, especially in wet or icy conditions. So for safety, correct PSI is very important!

Tyre Condition

The most important thing to check on tyre condition is the tread depth.

The minimum legal tread depth in the UK is 1.6mm. A recommended minimum for good grip is 3mm in wet conditions, of which we experience often in the UK.

An easy way to check your tyre tread is with a 20p. If the outer border of the 20p is visible, your tyre tread is most likely below the 1.6mm legals limit and you should act to have these replaced urgently. If the 20p border is hidden, your tread is legal. However tread depth gauges are available for a more accurate reading and they aren’t expensive.

Not only is your safety in jeopardy from low tread measurement, so is your licence. You may receive a 3 point penalty per offending tyre to your licence, plus a hefty £2,500 fine per tyre. That’s how serious a safety risk poor tyres can be.

Other damage to be aware of includes; cracks and splits in the sidewall, bulges and blisters usually caused by hitting pot holes or curbs, uneven tread wear which is usually a sign of misalignment, and any cuts or foreign objects such as nails embedded in the tyre surface.

Wheel Alignment

It is important to ensure your wheels are properly aligned and balanced. If your car feels like it is pulling to once side when driving on a flat road surface, or your steering wheel vibrates, these are tell tale signs of poor alignment. 

By ensuring your wheels are aligned you will prevent undue tyre wear, plus your handling will be improved.​

Other Key Points

Overloading – Be sure not to overload your car. In your cars documents or online you will find the manufacturers recommended maximum load capacity. If you are carrying additional weight, be sure to spread the weight as best as is possible.

Smooth driving – We should all drive smoothly, but should you need any more encouragement, a smooth driver is sure to be far less likely of wearing or damaging their tyres excessively. It is much easier to avoid a pothole when driving carefully.

Spare Tyre – Unfortunately not all cars come with a spare tyre. Some will have a space for a full sized spare, some provide a “space-saver” tyre. When checking the active tyres, take a moment to check the condition and pressure of the spare. One day you might need it.

The key summary is proper management of your tyres will keep you and your passengers safer on the road, safe money in the long run and make driving more comfortable and enjoyable.

If you would like your local Underwoods to check your tyres, click here to find your closest branch.

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