Tyres

Your tyres are your only contact with the road. The area of contact is as small as the sole of a shoe for each tyre. Tyres won’t grip properly and safely unless they’re in good condition and correctly inflated. They can easily become damaged, so check for wear and tear and replace them when necessary.

The penalties for using faulty tyres or tyres worn beyond the minimum legal tread depth are very severe. They may include a fixed fine, driving licence endorsement for every faulty tyre and discretionary disqualification.

Checking the condition of your tyres

• Check that the walls of the tyres are free from cuts and bulges.
• Check that all your tyres have a good depth of tread right across and all around them. The legal requirement for cars, vans, trailers and caravans is no less than 1.6 mm tread depth across the central three-quarters of the breadth of the tyre and around the entire outer circumference. However, it’s recommended that you replace your tyres before this legal limit is reached.
• Have the wheel alignment and wheel balance, suspension and braking system checked regularly. If there’s a fault, have it put right as soon as you can, otherwise the wear on the tyres will be excessive or uneven.
• If you see that parts of the tread are wearing before others, seek advice. This can indicate a tyre, brake, steering or suspension fault.

Remove anything (stones, glass, etc) caught in the treads. These can work their way in and cause damage.

How to save wear and tear on tyres

• Check tyre pressures frequently.
• Avoid driving over potholes and broken road surfaces. If you can’t avoid them, slow down.
• Don’t drive over kerbs or scrape the wheels along them when manoeuvring. You’ll damage the wall of the tyre and this could cause a blow-out later.
• Hitting the kerb can also affect the tracking of the front wheels. If there are any signs of uneven front tyre wear, have the tracking checked.
• Think and plan ahead. High speeds, fast cornering and heavy braking all increase tyre wear.

Tyre pressure

You can’t guess pressures just by looking at a tyre, except when it’s obviously flat.

Check your tyres’ pressures regularly – at least once a week. The vehicle handbook will show the correct pressure.

Check your tyres and adjust the pressure when they’re cold. Don’t forget the spare tyre and remember to refit the valve caps.

The handbook will also tell you if you need different pressures for different conditions.

Generally, the pressure should be higher for a heavily loaded vehicle or if you’re intending to drive at high speed for a long distance – for example, a long motorway journey.