Well-maintained tyres are an important component of your vehicle and essential for road safety. Tyres must undergo an inspection every month to ensure they are drivable, even if they get their MOT certificate. Here’s our guide to caring for your Dunlop tyres Stockport and how it could affect your car insurance
Inspect your tyre pressure regularly.
You must check your tyre pressure regularly. This is because too much or too less inflated tyres can have a significant impact on your vehicle’s steering, dealing, and braking distance. Incorrect tyre pressure will also lead to higher fuel usage and premature wear and tear.
Checking your tyre pressure once a month is advisable. You must do this, particularly before long journeys or when travelling with a heavy load. You can inspect your tyre pressure from most gas stations or at your residence if you own a pressure gauge.
The tyres ought to be cold when you inspect the pressure. The manufacturer’s recommendations regarding the tyre pressure level should be there in the vehicle’s owner’s manual.
Examine the tread depth
Your tyres’ tread depth can severely undermine your vehicle’s traction and handle, particularly when driving in downpours, snow, or ice.
Your tyres must have a tread depth of at least 1.6mm to be legal. Any less and your car’s MOT will fail.
Driving on bald tyres not only is risky; it is also illegal. If you get stopped by the police, an illegal tyre could consequence in a £2,500 fine, a driving ban, and three demerit points on your licence.
This may also result in a rise in your auto insurance premiums.
Take care – the 20 pence verification
You can use a 20p coin to check the tread depth of your tyres.
Input the coin into the major grooves in various locations around the tyre.
A 20p coin’s external band measures 1.6mm. This external rim of the coin must not be visible when you try to put it into the grooves.
If you can see the coin’s outer edge, your tyres may require a replacement. Have them inspected by an eligible tyre specialist.
Look for any signs of damage.
Give your tyres a thorough visual inspection when verifying tyre pressure and tread depth.
Look for items that might have caused a puncture on the tyre. It can also include cuts, bulges, and other indications of deterioration and wear. If you recognise any issues, get a tyre check by a professional as soon as possible. Tyres can sometimes undergo repair, but according to the damage, they may need a replacement.
Take note of your driving habits.
Your driving style can also influence the state and durability of your tyres. Great driving habits can extend their life, so:
Avoid unnecessary braking and accelerating; avoid irregular roadways and potholes;
Slow down for potholes; if you have to rig up the kerb, do so slowly and at an angle to avoid scraping the edge of the pavement.
Don’t let the tyres become too old.
Although no law requires you to replace your tyres after a certain number of years, five to six years is a good starting point. This is because the tyre’s rubber progressively wears out, and you might start noticing cracks in it when inspecting your tyres.
You might think driving more miles wears out your tyres faster, but this isn’t always the case. Tyres that are not in use frequently can age faster.
How to know what is the age of your tyres?
Examine the tyre sidewall. You’ll see the characters DOT followed by a series of numbers. The first two numbers reflect the week the wheels were being made, and the second two represent the year. So the 43rd week of 2019 would be 4319.
Examine your wheel alignment.
Wheels with uneven alignment can cause abnormal tyre wear because the weight of the vehicle is unevenly spread. If you notice wonky wear on your tyres or if your wheel begins to vibrate unpleasantly, it’s time to bring your car to a local garage to have the tyres inspected.
Don’t overburden your vehicle.
Avoid overloading your vehicle, as this will put a strain on your tyres and destabilise them over the period. This damage gets out of hand when the tyres do not have enough inflation.
You can see the ‘load index number’ on your Car Tyres in Stockport sidewall, which informs you of the weight limit you should be travelling with.
