Good car maintenance is an important role for any driver.
Whether you have just passed your test or you have been driving for 50 years regular checks on the car should be done on an ongoing basis.
Checking the tyres is one of those elements that need to be done to ensure that they are kept in the best possible condition.
Regular checks will ensure that wear and tear is spotted as soon as it arises therefore keeping the risk of an accident down to a minimum.
So what should you be looking for? Begin by parking the car in a safe place.
The side of the road is not ideal for this as you would be safer in a garage or even in a car park.
Find a place that is well lit, ideally do this in the day or use a torch if need be, but if both your hands are not being used then that would be the best solution.
Ensure that the car is stationary and secured in a place that it least likely to roll away if the handbrake was to slip.
Scan over the surface of the tyre and remove any small objects stuck in the tread.
Keep your eyes peeled for noticeable uneven excessive wear, bulges, cracks or damage to the side of the walls on the tyres.
Look at the built in tread wear indicator blocks to visually check if the tyre needs replacing.
If the indicators are worn to the same level as the surrounding tread, if so then it will be time to replace the tyre.
Use a depth gauge to get a more accurate reading of the depth of the tread.
This will also give you a good indication as to whether the tyres are wearing evenly across the surface or not.
The minimum amount of a tyres tread in the UK is 1.
6mm, this should be apparent across the central ¾ of the tread around the complete circumference of the tyre.
Obviously for safety it would be recommended that the tyre is replaced before the minimum is reached.
This regular check to ensure that your tyres remain road legal will mean that you will steer clear of 3 penalty points and a fine of £2,500 per tyre if your tyre is below the suggested 1.
6mm minimum.
Whether you have just passed your test or you have been driving for 50 years regular checks on the car should be done on an ongoing basis.
Checking the tyres is one of those elements that need to be done to ensure that they are kept in the best possible condition.
Regular checks will ensure that wear and tear is spotted as soon as it arises therefore keeping the risk of an accident down to a minimum.
So what should you be looking for? Begin by parking the car in a safe place.
The side of the road is not ideal for this as you would be safer in a garage or even in a car park.
Find a place that is well lit, ideally do this in the day or use a torch if need be, but if both your hands are not being used then that would be the best solution.
Ensure that the car is stationary and secured in a place that it least likely to roll away if the handbrake was to slip.
Scan over the surface of the tyre and remove any small objects stuck in the tread.
Keep your eyes peeled for noticeable uneven excessive wear, bulges, cracks or damage to the side of the walls on the tyres.
Look at the built in tread wear indicator blocks to visually check if the tyre needs replacing.
If the indicators are worn to the same level as the surrounding tread, if so then it will be time to replace the tyre.
Use a depth gauge to get a more accurate reading of the depth of the tread.
This will also give you a good indication as to whether the tyres are wearing evenly across the surface or not.
The minimum amount of a tyres tread in the UK is 1.
6mm, this should be apparent across the central ¾ of the tread around the complete circumference of the tyre.
Obviously for safety it would be recommended that the tyre is replaced before the minimum is reached.
This regular check to ensure that your tyres remain road legal will mean that you will steer clear of 3 penalty points and a fine of £2,500 per tyre if your tyre is below the suggested 1.
6mm minimum.
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