Tyres

Tyre tread depth and condition of your car tyres should be checked regularly and always before starting a long journey.

There are two things to check here. The first being the general condition of the tyres, as your tyres are your only contact between your vehicle and the road they are a very important part of your vehicle. Any cuts or bulges in the sidewall of the tyre could lead to a blow out at high speed. Imagine having a tyre blow out at 70 mph in the outside lane of a motorway.

You can reduce the risk of this happening by regularly checking your tyres and keeping them correctly inflated with the recommended pressure.

Condition of Tyres

To check the condition of the tyre visually inspect both the sidewalls and the tread for any minor cuts or bulges. Also run your hand around the back sidewall of each tyre to feel for any imperfections.

Tyre tread depth

You also need to check the tyre tread depth. Carefully inspect the tread for wear. It is a legal requirement that the centre 3/4 of the tread pattern has a minimum depth of 1.6 mm. There should also be visible tread around both outer edges of the tyre.

Anything that you are unsure of then take the car to a local tyre centre and have them checked there.

Tyre Pressures

The tyre pressures for your car will be in the cars handbook. Tyre pressures also can sometimes be found inside the door pillars. To check your tyre pressures take your car to your local petrol station forecourt and use the pressure gauge. This is usually free although you will usually need to pay between 20 pence and 1 pound if you need to add air to the tyres.

Keeping your tyre pressures at the correct level will improve your vehicles grip, reduce road noise, enable you to stop quicker and prolong the life of your tyres.
So the things to watch for are the tyre pressures, the tyre tread depth and the overall condition of the tyres.

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