October Is Tyre Safety Month

Statistics show that a jaw dropping 35% of tyres are being driven at least 8psi below the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations.

It’s October, which means it’s tyre safety month. Your tyres do more than just keep a contact with the road, they also have a decisive influence on the way that your car brakes, corners and accelerates. Safe tyres being driven on with the correct amount of air pressure can seriously reduce the risks to you, your passengers and other road users.

TyreSafe have annouced that the 2022 campaign for Tyre Safety Month is "If your tyres don\'t stop you, what will?"

As they write on their website, "Much of everyday life is dedicated to being risk averse and making adequate preparations, whether that be getting ready for a job interview, ensuring you’re not late for that all-important meeting, or simply planning a night out. As part of this year’s Tyre Safety Month, TyreSafe is asking drivers to consider the risks involved in not carrying out vital checks on their tyres, and the potentially tragic consequences if they needed to stop in an emergency and their tyres failed."

In this blog, we\'ll advise you how to check your tyre pressures, the dangers of buying part-worn tyres, and all other things tyres.

In the UK, the legal minimum required tread depth for a road vehicle tyre is 1.6mm across the central ¾ of a tyre. As this is a legal requirement, failure to meet this criteria does mean that your car will fail an MOT.

Tread patterns aren’t just there to provide more grip on the road. The grooves in the rubber allow water, mud, and any other loose debris to be channelled safely, with the tread pattern still maintaining a contact on the road. With the tyre being the only surface touching the road when you\'re in the car, it is of utmost importance that they\'re in tip top condition.

Part worn tyres can be tempting, especially when money is hard to come by, but are they a false economy?

According to research by Trading Standards and safety campaigner TyreSafe, the majority of UK part-worn tyre retailers aren’t meeting legal safety requirements. 152 outlets were tested, and just 13 met the legal requirements needed.

New tyres can come with up to 8mm of tread whereas some part-worns will be only just over the legal limit, meaning you’ll be replacing your tyres more often, which of course, means you spending more money. Another thing to take into consideration is why the tyres were taken off the previous vehicle to start with, did the previous driver think them unsafe? Or did the previous car get into an accident where the tyres have potentially sustained damage?

If you were 100% sure that your part worn tyres are 100% safe, you might consider it. Unfortunately though, this isn’t always the case and a lot of second-hand tyres aren’t meeting the minimum standards and serious thought needs to be given when you’re choosing them. Again, your tyres are the only thing that touches the road when you\'re driving your car: you\'d really want them to be safe.

Before you begin, it’s helpful if your pressure gauge uses the same unit of measurement as the pressure guidelines that are given for your vehicle.

3. Cross reference the reading to the Manufacturer reccomended tyre pressures, to see if you need to inflate or deflate your tyres.

Of course, if you have any questions or you’re concerned about the safety of your vehicle, give us a ring. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

Happy motoring, and keep safe!