With the recent figures showing that motorists are waiting longer before replacing their tyres, we thought this would be an opportune moment to make sure that you don’t fall foul of the law. So how do you go about properly and thoroughly checking your tyres to make sure that they are safe?
The condition of your tyres is integral to the performance, and more importantly the safety of your vehicle. Inevitably with all the wear and tear they will degrade over time. With this in mind you should never use any tyre which is more than 6 years old. It doesn’t matter if the tyre hasn’t even been used – make sure that you purchase new ones. Tyre age is determined from the date of manufacturer, NOT the date of sale. In order to check the age of any tyre you should look for the DOT number which is stamped on the sidewall of the tyre. It should take the following form:
DOT XXXX 2109
In this example the tyre will have been manufactured in the 21st week of 2009.
Car tyres are deemed unsafe once their tread depth wears below 1.6mm across the centre three quarters of the tyre. The main function of the tyre tread is to improve traction and to push water from beneath the tyre so once they become worn there is a significant danger that your car could hydroplane if the driving conditions aren’t dry. It is for these reasons that you should check the following aspects of your car once a month.
1, Tyre Pressure
Ideally, you should check your tyre pressure on a weekly basis – especially if you are driving an older used car which has been through several owners. Checking tyre pressure is extremely easy and only takes a couple of minutes. You should first consult your car’s manual to determine what the correct pressure rating for your vehicle is. Failing that you should also be able to find the pressure rating on the inside ledge of the door on the driver’s side or inside your petrol cap. When you find your pressure chart you will see that the car tyre pressure will vary depending on how substantially the car has loaded.
All you need to measure the pressure is an accurate tyre pressure gauge. These are relatively inexpensive and simple to use. Once you have removed the dust cap, apply the pressure gauge to the valve and look at the reading. If the air pressure is below the recommended level then inflate it using an air pump. You might like to overinflate the tyres ever so slightly to compensate for the air which leaks out when replacing the dust cap.
2, Tread
In order to check the tread on your tyres you must first get the vehicle into a position where you have clear access to the tyres. The best way to do this is to park your car on a flat even surface which is well away from busy roads. It should be common sense already, but make sure that the engine is turned off and that the handbrake is on.
Now that you are in a position to check your tyres safely, take a look at the pattern of the tread. Look for signs of tread wear bars which are the small bars which form between the treads across the tyres. These bars will become more and more even with the depth of the tyre tread as it becomes worn. If the two are getting close then this is a strong indicator that the tyres need replacing.
A sure fire method of checking the tread depth is to use a tread depth gauge. This is an extremely simple device to use and will allow you to measure your tread accurately and quickly. Check the depth across different grooves around and across the tyre. You may find that the tyres are not worn uniformly, which may be an indication that your tyre tracking may need seeing to. Whilst inspecting the tread, take a look for any objects which may have become lodged in the tyre as they may lead to further damage being caused.
3, Cracks and Bulges
Because the tyre tread requires some much attention, the tyre sidewalls can easily go overlooked. Make a point of inspection the tyres for any cracks or bulges as this will be indicative of damaged tyres. Bulges in particular may occur as a result of underinflated tyres which cause the sidewalls to be compressed outwards by the weight of the vehicle. In this situation you run the risk of the tyre blowing out and causing a potentially serious accident. In less noticable cases,cracks or bulges on the tyre will be an MOT failure and as such should not been an area which goes overlooked.
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