Tyres are a crucial element of any vehicle, but all too often they are ignored and become under-inflated, damaged or lack the necessary tread required to be considered legal on the UK’s roads.
However, this should not be the case and it’s important that tyres should not be forgotten about, as they are crucial to ensuring a vehicle stops quickly. Furthermore, a failure while on the road can be disastrous, leading to injuries or even fatalities.
The best thing to do to ensure your car is roadworthy is to have a trained technician or mechanic look at your vehicle and service it regularly, but there are a number of steps you can take at home to make sure your tyres are in good shape.
Spotting these issues and knowing when to change tyres is a crucial part of being a driver, so what do you need to look for?
Tread Depth
Tread depth is a vital element to consider when it comes to inspecting car tyres. Ultimately it is the tread that provides the grip on the road’s surface and there is a legal limit of 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the breadth of the tread and around the entire circumference.
While this is the legal limit and anything under this will result in a fine and penalty points for a driver, when driving in wet conditions the tread should ideally be greater than this.
Therefore, it is important to regularly monitor the tread depth of each tyre, as failing to do so could be costly, both in terms of a potential accident and the possibility of monetary and legal ramifications.
Bulges and Blisters
Spotting bulges and blisters are also reasons to think about a car tyre change as these can once again lead to a tyre failure on the roads. These are caused when the outer surface of a tyre becomes weakened over time or after a bump with a curb or other object.
The weak spot in the surface of a tyre, if ignored, could result in a sudden and dangerous blowout, which makes it important to check the car over before journeys and change any tyre that shows the signs of blisters or bulges.
Sidewall Cracks
Other damage to look out for is cracks in the sidewalls of tyres and these could once again be a sign that a tyre, or a number of them, need to be changed.
A crack could be a sign of a leak or that the tyre has become weak and is ready to blow out. So, it’s better to be safe than sorry and you should immediately think about getting it to a local repair centre or changing the tyre yourself.
Vibration in the Cabin
When you are behind the wheel of your car you should always be looking and listening for any signs that the vehicle is not quite running as it should be. When it comes to tyres, this can be difficult, but one surefire sign that you have an issue in this area is excessive vibration in the cabin.
If you feel this, it could indicate one of a number of tyre-related problems, from poor wheel alignment or unbalanced tyres to suspension issues or a problem in a tyre.
