Safety First
Tyres are your only point of contact with the road surface, so you cannot afford to neglect them. If you do you could endanger not only yourself and your passengers, but also other road users. We recommend that you should check the condition of your tyres regularly - at least once a month.
A Nationwide Survey (Tyre Industry Council, 2002) showed that almost 27% of vehicles had tyres with tread depths of less than 2mm. It is accepted that tyre performance and in particular braking in the wet, deteriorates dramatically below 2mm. Approximately 12% of vehicles actually had illegal tyres.
Why should you check your tyres?
Did you know that you are not insured when driving on illegal tyres? Worn tyres significantly impede the performance of your car - low tread depeths reduce the effectiveness of braking, steering, and acceleration, all of which are vital in staying safe. What are a few minutes put aside now to check your tyres, when you compare it to your own safety and that of your family's?
What should you check?
The Tyre Industry Council have devised a five point tyre check:
- Check overall condition of tyres, including inner and outer sidewalls.
- Check tyre tread depth.
- Check all tyre pressures.
- Check signs of irregular wear, i.e. alignment.
- Check and examine the spare tyre.
Please contact Black Circles on 0845 620 2000 for advice.
Tyre Pressures
A tyre can be under inflated without looking flat. To be safe you should check the pressures once a fortnight. To find out what pressure your tyres should be at please refer to your Vehicle Manual. Remember that tyre pressures should only be checked when your tyres are cold - a good guideline is to leave them for an hour to cool down before checking. You must not drive on under or over inflated tyres as this will impede your vehicle's handling, in most cases making the vehicle unstable. The wrong tyre pressure will increase tyre wear.
Wheel Alignment
Is your tyre evenly worn across the surface? If not then it could be due to over or under inflation. (Please see Tyre Pressure Section above). If it is only worn on one edge it could be as a result of poor wheel alignment. If this is the case you need to have a professional garage check on your Tracking. Blackcircles.com can arrange this for you.
Wheel Balancing
An unbalanced wheel does not just simply cause an annoying shake it can cause dangerous mechanical damage. All Blackcircles.com fitting centres will balance your wheel as a matter of course after replacing a tyre.
Tread Depth
The legal limit for car tread depth is 1.6mm (across 75% of the tyre). However the deeper the tread the more grip you have. Blackcircles.com advise that you replace your tyres when the tread is less than 3mm. It is not only unsafe to ignore the minimum tyre tread depth, it's against the law. For each illegal tyre you face a fine of up to £2,500, and may receive three penalty points on your driving licence.
Spare Tyre
Even if you never use your spare it is vital that you check that it is in good condition. Check the pressure, and the tyre treads periodically. It is better to discover any problems in a safe and comfortable environment, i.e. at home, than by the roadside when it is needed.