Tyres play a key role in vehicle safety, but we tend to only think about them when we absolutely need to. In this article, we ask a tyre expert, Darren from D&D Detailing, for his tips on tyre safety and keeping your tyres roadworthy.
If we were to stop for a minute and think about how often our car takes to the road in a week, meaning the tyres are in motion on the ground, we might be surprised at how often. Naturally, this means the level of attention they need can be easily overlooked until you find yourself with a flat tyre or, indeed, until your regular service comes around. We spoke to the experts, Darren, to see what his advice is when it comes to keeping your tyres safe on the road.
What are the top tips you have for motorists in relation to their tyres?
Make sure your tyres are the right size and set to the right tyre pressure for your vehicle. At the end of the day it’s the only part of your vehicle that is touching the road so it’s worth keeping them in great condition.
Are there simple checks motorists can do to make sure their tyres are safe?
Yes, there are 3 different things you should regularly check:
- As mentioned above, make sure all tyres are inflated to the correct pressure for your vehicle.
- Check to see if the tyre is in good condition. For example, check that they have no cracks in the rubber.
- Make sure your tyres are above the wear mark or tread depth, across the whole tyre surface. You can use the 20p test as a way to check your tyre tread depth.
What common problems do customers have when it comes to their tyres?
The two most common problems we see are that the customer's tyre pressure is either under or overinflated and, secondly, the car’s tracking is out which in turn causes the tyres to wear unevenly.
Do you have any advice for motorists when it comes to tyre safety in the winter months specifically?
In Ireland we get very unpredictable winters and this makes it hard for motorists to prepare for winter conditions, so my top tip would be to follow the above tyre safety guidelines and make these checks regularly during that time of year.
Have you any advice for people if they were to find themselves in difficulty?
In terms of a backup plan, a spare wheel is something that can be forgotten about until it’s needed so it’s well worth checking it at least twice a year, if not three times, to make sure the tyre is in good condition and it’s set to the right tyre pressure. It’s also worth having a backup for your backup - in this case a can of Puncture Repair Foam is the way to go.
What should people know when it comes to maintaining or buying new tyres?
When it comes to maintaining tyres, make sure your car is tracked correctly and the tyres are set to the right pressure to avoid tyre wear.
If you’re purchasing new tyres, it’s worth checking the specs on the tyres and buying the ones that are the closest match to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Darren Hickey is from D&D Detailing, Westlink Business Park, 6, Old Mallow Rd, Cork.
