With tyres so important when it comes to road safety it’s perhaps surprising that 12% of UK drivers never check their tyres for tread depth. On the positive, though, that means that almost 90% of us are doing these vital checks.
To help www.mytyres.co.uk has put together this simple tyre safety check list to ensure that tyres are fit for purpose.
1. Ensure that all tyres, including the spare, have at least 2.5/3.00 mm of tread – the law requires a minimum of 1.6 mm but tyre experts recommend a greater level of tread depth for maximum safety. Should motorists not have a tread depth gauge handy then check the sidewall for the letters TWI (Tread Wear Indicator), adjacent to this in the bottom of the tread are blocks of rubber set at 1.6 mm, if these blocks are flush with the tread, then the tyre needs to be replaced.
2. Check and adjust tyre pressures against the manufacturer’s handbook recommendations. Incorrect tyre pressures increase wear and use more fuel and produce more CO2 emissions.
3. Check for uneven tyre wear which can be caused by tyres/wheel alignment out of line.
4. Clean dirt from around the valve and fit dust caps all round.
5. If whilst driving, the driver experiences vibration, wheel wobble or discovers patchy tyre wear, then have the front tyres checked for balance.
