Protyre News

As car or van owners, we all understand the importance of looking after our vehicles. Topping up the fluids, servicing the engine – even giving it a good clean – are some of the things we know we have to keep an eye on. But arguably as important – perhaps more so – is the ongoing care and maintenance of the tyres. Ensuring they’re looked after on a regular basis is vital. If you ignore them, and let them decline, there will be serious consequences – and not just for your driver safety but your bank account, too.
 
Did you know that if stopped by the Police, you’re liable to receive a fine of up to £2,500 for each defective tyre? So is the fact you could also get three penalty points on your license – for each that is defective. More and more across the country, authorities are clamping down and imposing maximum penalties. Figures show that in 2016, UK drivers were fined a whopping £27m for driving on dangerous tyres
 
It doesn’t have to be this way. With a little care and attention, you can maintain the condition of your tyres and avoid driving on dangerous ones. Here are some key indicators to be aware of:

General tyre condition

Dirt will more often than not compromise the performance of your tyres, as well as conceal any damage. For these reasons, it’s important to get into a routine of regularly cleaning them. Remove dirt, grease and oil from all of the tyre’s surfaces, and from around the valves and valve caps. Nipping any signs of damage in the bud before they take hold will save you time, trouble and money in the long run. Look out for any objects, such as stones, that may have become embedded in the tyre tread. If you see any, remove them immediatey. If you don’t, and it’s a sharp object, there’s a greater chance of it piercing the tyre, and of you sustaining a slow puncture.
 
You can also sustain damage to the tyre sidewalls. If you’re no familiar with the term, these are the vertical sides of your tyres. They endure the majority of the stress your tyres are regularly put through, so it’s very important that the structural integrity of your sidewall is maintained optimally. Keep a sharp eye out for any deformities in the sidewall, such as bulges, lumps, cuts or tears. If you find any of these, the tyre will inevitably become compromised, and ultimately endanger your driver safety.
 
Protyre solution: Regular inspect of your tyres to minimise the chances of sustaining or exacerbating any of the issues we’ve outlined, above. If you’re in any doubt about the condition of your tyres, seek advice from your nearest Protyre garage.
 

Comparison image courtesy of TyreSafe

Tyre tread depth

The vast majority of the £27m in fines mentioned earlier in this article were in respect to ‘bald’ tyres. This term relates to tyre tread depth.
 
Your treads are essential for providing the grip you need to drive safely. They’re the grooves that channel water away from your tyres when the road is wet (something we get a lot of here in the UK).
 
The road legal minimum tread depth for is 1.6mm. If you’re driving on anything less, your tyres are illegal. This means you’re not only endangering your safety but also at significant risk of incurring fines and penalties. Your tread depth will naturally reduce over time through tyre wear and is something drivers need to keep an eye on. It can occur both evenly and unevenly.
 
Protyre solution: Use a tread depth gauge and check regularly. Alternatively, if you don’t have one, you can do the quick and easy ‘20p test’. Simply place a 20p coin into the tread along multiple points of the tyre’s length, and if you can see any part of the banding around the coin’s edge the likelihood is that your tread depth is under the 1.6mm road legal minimum. You should arrange to replace the tyre(s) immediately.
 
Note: Many tyre professionals – including Protyre and leading premium tyre manufacturer Continental – advise that you change your tyres before they reach the UK road legal minimum tread depth. Industry consensus recommends replacing tyres once the tread is down to 3mm. Why? Because from 3mm down, tyre tread – and the grip they can provide – falls away and degrades incredibly rapidly. Your tyres won’t be able to perform optimally, especially in wet weather conditions. It’s for this reason that all series 5 and higher Continental tyres feature tread wear indicators (TWIs) that show you when you’re down to 3mm.

Tyre wear

Tyre wear on the tread will ultimately lead to reduced grip. This can occur both evenly and unevenly. The latter will occur if your tyres are incorrectly aligned. As a result, parts of your tread will wear down quicker than others, resulting in irregular tyre tread depth. This can be a serious problem, since it adversely affects the way water is channelled away from the tyre.
 
Protyre solution: If you spot uneven tyre wear, make an appointment with your nearest Protyre garage and book an appointment for us to realign your tyres.
 
Uneven tyre wear is also likely to take place if you have the wrong…

Tyre pressures

Your pressures are vital for determining the condition and performance of your tyres. You will typically find the correct tyre pressures for your vehicle either inside the driver door or inside your fuel cap. Having the right pressures helps to ensure your tyres are inflated correctly, and able to perform optimally. The right pressures also help to maintain even tyre wear.
 
Most cars today have a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) which indicates if your tyres are either under or over inflated. Both outcomes are problematic and will ultimately lead to uneven tyre wear. Under inflated tyres result in excessive contact with the road, particularly along the outer edges where additional wear will take place. Under inflated tyres also require noticeably more power to turn, something you’ll notice at the petrol station when you have to fill up. Nobody need the expense, right?
 
With over inflated tyres, contact with the road is focused at the centre of the tyre. This lifts the outer edges of the tyre away from the surface, leading to excessive wear along the centre. This process also reduces the available tyre surface area able to provide grip – just where you need it most, endangering your driver safety.
 
Protyre solution: Don’t ignore your tyre pressure monitoring system, always heed any warnings. If your car or van doesn’t have TPMS, make the time to manually check your pressures. If you don’t have a pressure gauge of your own you can pop into your local garage or petrol station, which will typically have the facilities to check and top up / top off your pressures – usually for free, or a nominal fee.
 

Other important considerations

As well as regularly inspecting your tyres for damage, and ensuring your pressures and tread depth are as they need to be, there are other important considerations that you need to be aware of:

• Tyre storage Learn how to correctly store tyres here.

• Retorquing wheels Learn more about retorquing here.

• Balancing tyres Learn more about tyre balancing here.

Need a new set of Continental tyres? Buy online at Protyre and save £££s!