12:40pm Thursday 6th August 2009
Tyres are vital for vehicle safety. Research recently carried out in France indicates that under-inflated tyres are a contributing factor to one in 12 fatal accidents.
Here, courtesy of Michelin, are some of the key areas of tyre maintenance: 1 Tyre tread depth – minimum 1.6mm 2 Check for cracks (especially in caravan & trailer tyres) – replace old tyres 3 Run tyres at the correct pressures for the loads you are carrying 4 Inflate spare tyre to maximum pressure recommended for the vehicle 5 Remove stones stuck in tyre tread 6 Remain vigilant – check your tyres during your trip All tyres – and don’t forget your spare – should have at least the minimum legal tread depth of 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the breadth of the tread. This must continue around the entire circumference of the tyre. Road grip and braking distances deteriorate rapidly as tread depth wears, so drivers should not be complacent. Replace tyres with less than 2mm of tread.
Some of the more advanced tyres on the market even come with built-in wear indicators that signal a tyre needs to be replaced when they are exposed.
Longer summer trips with the car fully loaded can heat and stress your tyres, especially if they are suffering from undetected cracks or bulges. If you plan to tow a trailer or caravan, make sure you double-check the state of its tyres. These are likely to start to perish before the tread wears significantly, and can deteriorate unnoticed if the caravan or trailer has been stationary for long periods since being used last summer.
Check all pressures when the tyres are cold, in line with the recommendations in the car owner’s manual for the load you plan to carry.
Carry a pressure gauge with you to get this right and ensure that it is a quality product that gives an accurate reading. Cheap gauges can be a false economy as inaccurate readings could have lethal consequences.
Most punctures happen because the tyre is worn and probably under-inflated. Uneven wear could mean the car has problems with its steering or brakes. Check too that the dust cap is properly fitted.
It pays to be careful. Five minutes spent looking over your tyres could prevent your dream summer turning into a nightmare.
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