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Tyres are one of the most important components to your car and are vital to functions like braking, accelerating, and turning as they are the only component to the car that has a contact point with the road.
There are lots of elements to tyre safety and to help you, we’ve created this guide to safety checking your tyres in preparation for the winter!
Choosing the right tyres is essential to maintain safety and drivability of your vehicle.
There are three types of tyres, summer, winter, and all-season.
Summer tyres are engineered to be used in temperatures above 7°C to achieve maximum performance. They have shallower tread patterns and are made from stiff and sticky compounds to grip in wet and dry surfaces.
Winter tyres are designed to be used in temperatures lower than 7°C as these tyres are made to thrive in snow and ice. They have a more distinctive tread with a deeper pattern to improve traction and are made of more supple materials helping them stay soft enough to grip the road in icy temperatures.
All-season tyres do what you would expect, see you through the weather conditions all year! They can adapt to hot and cold temperatures making it easy to grip the road no matter the conditions. These are the best option for mild climates with not a lot of temperature fluctuations.
However, if you want total peace of mind across the winter months, winter tyres are the way to go!
Under or over-inflating your tyres could cause safety issues on the road. Under inflated tyres create too much contact with the road making your tread wear down faster and a reduction in grip.
Under-inflated tyres are also prone to damage from objects like nails and glass increasing your chances of a puncture.
Overinflated tyres can be just as dangerous. You’re more at risk of experiencing a blowout due to the increased pressure around the tyre when driving, especially on rougher roads and where potholes are present.
Overinflation can also cause the centre of the tyre to erode excessively and remove threads in the tyre.
There are a few ways you can check what your vehicles ideal tyre pressures are, it could be inside your fuel cap or on a sticker on the inside of the driver’s door.
You can check your tyre pressures by using a pressure gauge (usually found at petrol stations where you can also inflate your tyres) here, you can top up or expel air until your tyres are at their optimal pressure.
BONUS TIP: Check your pressures when the tyre is cold, it gives a more accurate reading!
Tyre tread depth was created by manufacturer Continental and their purpose was and still is to clear water from the cars path, ensuring you have maximum grip on the road and allow the car to come to a stop promptly while you stay in control of the car.
The standard tread depth on a tyre is around 8mm and through regular use, this number decreases over time. The legal limit in the UK for tread depth is 1.6mm, however, you should always endeavour to change your tyres before you hit the limit.
It’s been found that tyres with a tread 3mm and under were wearing significantly faster and negatively impacting stopping times. This is when you should replace your tyres.
You can measure your tyre tread depth by using a tyre depth gauge or if you’re looking for a faster method you can use a 20p coin.
If you can see the outer band of the 20p coin face, this shows your tread is too narrow and your tyre needs replacing.
You should regularly check your tyres for things such as nails, glass, screws, splits, or cracks.
All these things could cause a puncture in the future, or it could already be causing a slow puncture now and you just haven’t realised.
If your vehicle also has a spare tyre, it’s a good idea to check it for the same issues to ensure you have a healthy back-up tyre in case of an emergency!
Are you unsure that your current tyres are fit for the winter and are puncture free? Often it can be hard to check your tyres if you’re not sure what to do or look out for, but we can help you!
You can book a free tyre check with us where we can inspect your tyres to ensure they’re safe and your vehicle is prepared for the winter months. It’s better to be safe than sorry after all!
Book Your Free Tyre Check Here!
Did you know that we can supply, store and fit your winter tyres for you!
Our Hotel4Tyres can help you save space in your garage as well as keep you safer on the roads.
As part of our package, we can supply you with winter or summer tyres (with or without wheels) and we can also store them until you are ready to have them fitted again.
Find out more and book your tyres into our hotel by clicking the link below!
