Protyre News

Finally, the UK’s first glimpse of sunshine! Following a dreadful winter, we’re all long overdue some rays, whether at home or abroad. And if you’re planning on staying in Britain for your holiday, it’s worth remembering that the summer holidays are only a few weeks away.

Many of us will be thinking about simply packing up the car and getting away, forgetting our cares for a week or two. With so many things to think about – luggage, sleeping bags, camping stove, food for the dog, sun cream, hats, rain coats, wellies, buckets, spades, and so much more – we can be forgiven for forgetting to think about the air pressure in our car’s tyres, can’t we?

One answer to this question is yes, of course. We’re all busy, and it’s easy to forget these things, right? Wrong. With children and loved ones in the car, the answer is a resounding no. You wouldn’t forgive yourself if something went wrong because of your tyres, would you?

Don’t let your tyres let you down

There’s a common misconception that we don’t need to bother checking our tyres. In fact, evidence suggests that around two thirds of drivers don’t check their tyres for wear, or to make sure they’re correctly inflated. Ever.

This is also true of driver’s whose vehicles are fitted with Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS). Even if you have TPMS you still need to regularly check your tyre pressures.

In this article, the Protyre team not only explain why it’s so important to check your tyre pressures regularly, but also why it’s crucial to adjust them when your car is fully loaded for your holiday.

Why is tyre pressure important?

It’s mostly – and most importantly – about you and your family’s safety.

Under-inflated tyres affect your car’s handling and braking – and not in a good way. They have a direct impact on how quickly your vehicle can come to a full stop when you break, resulting in significantly longer stopping distances – up to four car lengths in some cases.

That’s an unacceptable distance to travel when you need to stop quickly, such as on a fast moving motorway as you head to your holiday destination, or if a child steps out in front of you as you’re driving around your holiday destination. The consequences are all to obvious.

Over-inflated tyres, on the other hand, increase the risk of high-speed blow-outs – with consequences none of us want to ever have to deal with. We’ve all heard about UK holiday makers abroad becoming victims of unforeseen traffic accidents, particularly on winding, rural roads.

But it’s also about saving money.

Incorrectly inflated tyres wear out unevenly and need replacing more often. And – if they’re under-inflated – make your car use more fuel and emit more CO2. That’s lose-lose, right?

For these reasons, the Department for Transport, and leading premium tyre manufacturer, Continental, recommend monthly tyre pressures checks, even for cars fitted with TPMS.

Why do heavy loads change things?

Let’s say that your tyres were correctly inflated to the standard “unladen” pressure values before you started your holiday travels (because you checked them, obviously…). By the time you’ve added a couple of hundred extra kilograms of luggage, bikes and general stuff, the dog, two adults and two teenagers, you’ll be looking at an additional half tonne – if not more.

That extra weight you’ve added changes things for your tyres. Why? It’s because the rubber compounds are slightly flexible, the tyres expand and – instead of being correctly inflated – they start behaving as if they’re under-inflated.

Remember, under-inflated tyres affect your car’s handling as well as its ability to stop quickly in an emergency. You’ll also waste fuel, so it’s vital to adjust your tyres to the “laden” weight pressure before you set off on holiday. And the money you save on fuel is better served enjoying your holiday, right?

Where can you find your tyre pressure values?

Look up the values in your car’s user manual. They’re usually also printed on the inside of your fuel cap, and inside the driver door. There, you’ll find two figures. One’s for normal use, when your car’s not loaded up (unladen). The other one – a higher figure – is for when it is.

How do you top the air up to the laden pressure?

The easiest place to do this is at your local service station, where you can do so for a relatively small charge. Simply remove the valve dust cover and attach the air hose, which also measures pressure. Set the correct tyre pressure according to the vehicle manufacturer’s advice. Either top up or release air, until the pressures are correct for all wheels at the laden weight.

Unsure about tyre pressures? Talk to Protyre today

If you’re not sure you’ve got it right, leading tyre brand Continental’s advice is “don’t leave it to chance, seek professional advice”. You can visit to your nearest Protyre garage, where our highly trained team can run a tyre safety check which covers correct tyre pressures, and much more.