Check your tyres before you make tracks this summer

Following last year’s UK summer, which proved to be the wettest on record, Micheldever Tyre Services/Protyre is advising motorists before they set off on a summer break to check their tyres to be safe and secure on the road.  Research has shown that most drivers fear skidding on wet roads and with UK roads wet at least 40% of the time, there is always the danger of aquaplaning – this is when a layer of water builds up between the tyre and the road surface leading to a possible dangerous loss of traction and steering control.
 
Aquaplaning is more likely to happen when tyres wear down to close, or below, the legal minimum of 1.6mm. Clearly the greater the tread depth the less likely it is that aquaplaning will occur. If a car does aquaplane, the best advice is stay calm, come off the accelerator and don’t touch the brake pedal or try to turn the steering. As the speed decreases the tyre will start to bite through the film of water and control can be regained.
 
Micheldever/Protyre is also offering the following advice to motorists before they set off for a summer motoring break.
 
1. Check and adjust tyre pressures as recommended in the car’s handbook. Remember if you are carrying additional loads then tyre pressure may have to be adjusted. Correctly inflated tyres not only reduce stopping distances and increase levels of grip, but also improve fuel consumption and reduce CO2 emissions.
 
2. Tread depth. As already indicated reduced tread depth can lead to problems with grip in the wet. The law requires a minimum of 1.6mm of tread depth across three quarters of the width of the tyre. To be safe however Micheldever recommends that driver consider changing tyres at between 2.5 and 3mm.
 
3. Check for uneven wear to ensure that wheel alignment and tyre balance are correct. Failure to do this can lead to premature replacement and possible vibrations through the steering.
 
4. Check for general tyre condition. Remove stones and other objects from the tyre tread and clean dirt from around the valve and ensure that dust caps are fitted.
 
5. Check tyre for age. This is a check not normally carried out by motorists but is important. Tyres over 8 years old should be replaced. Check the tyre sidewall for the code to identify when the tyre was produced.