Tyre Safety Month: What's stopping you?

Tyre safety month is back! The Charity TyreSafe created Tyre Safety Month in 2010 to raise awareness of the dangers of defective and illegal tyres as well as highlight the importance of tyre maintenance. October is the month of tyre safety, and to encourage our community members to check their tyres we are offering free tyre checks across all our branches for this month only. 

For this year’s Tyre Safety Month we’re asking motorists, what’s stopping you? An estimated 1 in 5 drivers have never checked the tread on their tyres. Checking and maintaining tyres reduces the risk of an incident while on the roads, as well as reduces the cost of motoring.

During tyre safety month we’re encouraging you to ACT.  Check the Air pressure, Condition and Tread depth of your tyres.

Use an accurate tyre pressure gauge to check tyres’ air pressure is at the recommended settings. Check your vehicle handbook or fuel filler cap.

Lumps or bulges in a tyre may indicate internal damage and increase the risk of catastrophic failure. If cuts or cracks are found, the tyre may need replacing. Call into one of our branches to seek professional advice.

Tread depth should be checked with an accurate gauge to ensure it is above the legal limit of 1.6mm. If you are unable to check this yourself, then call into one of our branches for a free tyre check.

When should you change your tyres?

This will vary based on an individual’s driving habits, tyre maintenance and where you live. It’s important to check your tyres monthly, below are a list of indicators to see if your tyres need replacing:

• The tyre is flat.
• The tyre has signs of wear, such as cuts in the tread or sidewall.
• The tyres MUST have a tread depth of 1.6mm - below could result in £2,500 fine per tyre and 3 penalty points. 
• Bulges in the sidewall.
• Uneven wear patterns - this could mean your tyres are unbalanced. 
• If the tyre is worn on the outside - this could just mean it needs to be inflated or a possible leak. Check your tyre pressure regularly. 

If you would like to check your own tyres, watch our video here.