Checking your tyres… what.. why.. when.. and how…??

WHAT…

So.. How many of you actually know what you’re looking for when you check your tyres? I’ll be the first to admit that before I started working at Merityre I had no idea that the tread on your tyre could wear unevenly, or that you could actually repair a puncture rather than having to buy a brand new tyre. Well in this entry I will try to explain exactly what to look for when you check your tyres.

WHY…

It should go without saying that your tyres are a fundamental part of your vehicle as they are the only parts which have contact with the road (hopefully)!! It is therefore incredibly important that your tyres are in a safe and working condition when driving yourself/friends/family or anyone else around. You never know how many times your tyres may have saved you and your vehicle from serious accidents or damage already.

Did you know that WORN TYRES:

·         Are unsafe

·         Do not give you the adhesion to stay safe on the road

·         Can be illegal… Penalty points here we come

·         Can burst, leading to serious accidents

·         Increase fuel consumption!

·         Pick up foreign objects more easily which can lead to punctures

·         Can lead to other more serious problems with your car

·         Can increase the possibility of prosecution after an accident and increase insurance premiums.

·         Will give you an uncomfortable ride

WHEN…

So firstly, when should you check your tyres? Well there isn’t really a set amount of time between when you should do checks, but we would recommend every week, and before undertaking any long journeys. This means that if you do have any problems, you will spot them quickly and hopefully avoid driving around on potentially dangerous tyres.

HOW…

The first step is to turn on your engine (with the handbrake on and out of gear), and turn the steering wheel so it locks on one side, then turn the engine off again (this will depend if your vehicle has power steering). This allows you to see the full breadth of the tread on your front tyres which is important as it allows you to notice if there is any uneven wear across the tyre.

(Many modern vehicle tyres are very wide and the innermost edge of these can wear right down while the outside edge can appear faultless. This can also occur on tyres if the steering and suspension alignment is out on the vehicle. It is very important to check the full width of the tread!)

LOOK FOR…

·         Now you check your tread depth. The easiest way to do this is using a tread depth gauge, but if you don’t have one of these you can use the tread wear indicators which are located within the grooves of the treaded part of the tyre. These are small raised blocks about 10mm in length and 2mm in height which are situated all around the tyre (so you should be able to find them). The legal limit for tread depth is 1.6mm and the indicators are raised to 1.6mm to 2mm. Therefore if any part of the tread area is running flush with the indicators, your tyre has worn to its lowest level and needs replacing.

 

·         You need to make sure that you check as much of the circumference of the tyre as possible as sometimes one section of the tread will be fine, and another section will be worn. This may mean that the tyre is distorted. You need to check for any material degradation in the tyre, for example cracking and perishing.  At the same time look for any deep or long cuts and any foreign objects. Your car drives over lots of different surfaces so you may see bits of stones here and there, but any object which does not come out easily may have penetrated the tyre and be causing pressure loss (puncture).

 

·         Now have a look at the side walls of the tyres. The side walls are prone to damage from impacts, chafing against curbs, under inflation and tearing. You will be looking for cuts, abrasions or missing rubber. When a tyre has a puncture or has been run under inflated for a while it can cause pinching between the wheel and the road surface (run flat damage). This can be seen as an abrasion mark running the entire circumference and worn letters and numbers on the side walls. When this occurs your tyre will need replacing.

 

·         Bulges can be detected by running the flat of your hand over the entire surface of your sidewall. A bulge represents serious damage to the structural integrity of the tyre.

 

·         In the outer rim of the wheel you will find the valve. Check this carefully for any deterioration of the material. Ensure caps are fitted. By moving the valve stem from side to side, look for cracking of the rubber around the base.

Repeat all of these processes for each tyre and don’t forget the spare!

So, for a quick recap:

Your tyres need attention if they have:

·         Low tread depth

·         Deterioration of the rubber (cracking or perishing)

·         Uneven tread wear (distortion of tyre)

·         Deep cuts or sections of tread missing

·         Embedded foreign objects

·         Side wall damage and bulges

·         Damaged or worn valves

So.. Now you know why it is so important to check your tyres, and not just the tread depth, but the whole tyre. If you find this all a bit too much, then just bring your car to your local Merityre Branch www.merityre.co.uk/find_a_centre.htm and we’ll do it for you absolutely free. We will also give you advice on when you may need new tyres and give you a Merityre Tyre Check Report on their condition. You can also have a FREE Wheel Alignment check which will show up any problems and help to prevent your tyres from wearing unevenly.

For information about our Club Card Plus, go to our website at www.merityre.co.uk or ask at your local branch.

The next entry will explain how to check tyre pressures.

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Car Tyre Casualties: Sobering Statistics

'There are lies, damned lies and statistics.' Mark Twain claimed Benjamin Disraeli said this in the 19th Century. True, some say that statistics can be misleading but they can also be sobering, to say the least. Take, for example, this figure, released in September by the Department for Transport. Apparently, illegal, defective and underinflated car tyres caused over 1,210 road casualties in Great Britain during 2010. Over the last five years, 164 motorists have died as a result of having defective car tyres, 18 of those deaths occurring in 2010, according to the Road Casualties in Great Britain report.

What can be done about this? Well, October is Tyre Safety Month. Not for profit organisation TyreSafe was established in 2006 and is now one of the UK's leading tyre safety organisations. As its chairman Stuart Jackson says, “The latest figures are truly shocking and emphasise why we need ongoing action, education and awareness about tyre safety issues.”

TyreSafe is working hard to ensure that we are informed about the importance of looking after ourselves and the safety of others by looking after our car tyres. As part of Tyre Safety Month, drivers will be given a free tyre safety check. Where? Hundreds of tyre dealers and garages are taking part, so try your local ones.

There are also a number of online resources, to show you how to carry out critical car tyre safety checks quickly and easily. An enlightening online video, of a car being driven on ice, demonstrates the benefits of winter tyres.

Stuart Jackson continues, "If all drivers took just a few minutes every month to check their tyre pressures, condition and tread depth, we could help prevent this needless injury and loss of life. Our website contains some really simple guides to help drivers understand what to look for."

Tyre Safety Month is as much about education as awareness. The abovementioned website has material that will leave you fully informed about your car tyres and safety. You can learn about checking your tyres' tread depth and ensuring they contain the correct tyre pressure. There are also TyreSafe's 'Magnificent 7 Car Tyre Safety Tips'.

As we all know, the tail end of the summer season heralds the onset of poorer weather. We should also bear in mind that the need for car tyre safety monitoring will continue ad infinitum…it won't go away when November blusters its way in. In the short term, you can take a look at the TyreSafe web site. In the longer term, you may want to consider investing in a set of winter tyres. Or you could reflect on the wisdom of looking after the tyres you already have, keeping them in prime condition and being aware of the need to replace then as and when necessary.

The bottom line is this. As has been said time and time again, your car tyres are all that are ultimately keeping you on the road. Assuming you have no desire to become a statistic, neglect them at your peril. Why not take a look at keeping your tyres safe– it might just be a life-saving bit of browsing.


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Merityre.co.uk are one of the leading UK independent suppliers of car tyres. Why not visit their website for an online tyre quote or contact your nearest fitting centre.