Cold snap putting pressure on tyres

The current cold weather snap across the UK makes driving more hazardous and puts a lot more pressure on a vehicle’s tyres. The four patches of rubber, each no larger than the palm of your hand, are all that connects a vehicle with the road surface and yet, according to Protyre, the UK’s leading independent tyre dealer network, motorists are ignoring the important part that tyres play in bad weather and many are driving on bald or under inflated tyres.

Research by Protyre, through their 32 outlets, has indicated that motorists are putting off replacing tyres to save money and yet this is a dangerous decision says Simon Hiorns, retail director at Protyre. According to Simon, “Only 1 in 5 tyres on cars seen at Protyre outlets have tyres that are correctly inflated and many have only 2mm of tread, whilst not illegal, in need of replacement from a safety perspective.”

Protyre has issued some simple yet practical advice to motorists to help them cope with poor driving and icy conditions:

All tyres should have a minimum of 1.6mm of tread but preferable more and motorists should consider changing a tyre when the tread depth falls below 3mm.
Tyre pressures should be adjusted and maintained at the correct levels front and rear. If in doubt check the vehicle’s handbook for the correct pressure advice.
Tyres pressures should never be reduced to cope with snow. It is completely false that by reducing tyre pressures that they give better traction in the snow.
Accelerate and brake gently and use gears to help reduce speed smoothly.
Drive in as high a gear as practical to avoid unnecessary wheel spin.
If a car gets into a slide steer out of the skid and keep off the brake and accelerator pedals until the vehicle is under control.
Keep clear of other vehicles and anticipate what is ahead.
Listen to weather forecasts and traffic reports and do not put yourself at undue risk.

For more information please visit protyre.co.uk