Tyre Safety Month – simple checks to ensure your tyres are safe

Davanti Tyres’ general manager, Peter Cross said: “Tyres are rarely seen as a safety feature of a car, but they are the only element connecting your car to the road so it’s vital they are of high quality and well looked after. People are often staggered by the number of specialist engineers we have at Davanti working on new products, but it’s an integral part of everyone's vehicle.”

So what simple things can you do to look after your tyres?

1.       Check the pressure regularly

It is recommended that you check your tyre pressure once a month as standard. This is because tyres can quickly become deflated if they aren't checked regularly, and this can result in excessive and uneven wearing of the tread.

2.       Check for damage and unusual wear and tear

Any visible perforation, cut or deformation has the potential to render the tyre unsafe to use so they must be checked thoroughly by a tyre professional.

3.       Make sure there is enough tread

This improves your grip, the vehicle's handling, and – ultimately – your driver safety. The 20p test is a simple, quick and easy way of checking the tyre tread of your car's wheels. Just take a 20p coin and insert it into the tread grooves on the tyre. If you can't see the outer band on the coin, your tyres are above the legal limit.

4.       Don’t overload your car

Your vehicle's tyres are doing the hard work of supporting the total weight of the vehicle and withstanding deformations, speed and heat. Build up of heat can cause exfoliation and separation of the tyres’ tread as well as the sidewall cord becoming damaged.

If you do need to carry a heavier load than normal, adjust the tyre pressure accordingly, which can be found in the car’s documentation.

5.       Be mindful when mounting the kerb

You can easily knock your wheels out of alignment just by bumping into a kerb or hitting a pothole. Incorrectly aligned tyres can result in uneven wear, which can weaken them and make them more prone to damage. It can also reduce the driver’s control of the car and increase fuel consumption.

Peter Cross adds: “Regular tyre checks are important. If you ensure any small issues are resolved quickly, it stops a small issue becoming a bigger problem which can not only be dangerous, but also costly.”