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| -This post is in collaboration with Headley Tyres, all opinions are my own- |
Ever since I first started to learn to drive which feels like many moons ago now, I've always had my dad telling me to always make sure your car is safe and check over everything often - particularly the brakes and tyres. He's basically like a teacher and preaches about things a lot (which I'm not going to lie, it can get annoying at times haha) but when it comes to safety I guess it's a good thing. In this post I'm taking about some simple ways and tips on checking your tyres are safe and road worthy and where you can go for new tyres if you live in or near Basingstoke.
Sort Small Wear and Tear Issues -
If your car has some small wear and tear issues then don't leave them for too long because wear and tear will just get worse as time goes on and it'll probably leave you with a bigger bill at the end of the day as wear and tear tends to lead to bigger problems. So it's best to just nip it in the bud and get it sorted sooner rather than later. Another little tip is to make sure you clean your tyres properly often because this is a good time to can check for any wear and tear, bulges or onset cracks.
Checking Your Tyre Pressure -
You should make sure that checking your tyres is something you do at least once a month and also before travelling either long distances or on motorways for obvious reasons. It would be better if you checked every couple of weeks though for the ultimate peace of mind. You should always check your tyres when they are cold and make sure you use a reliable tyre pressure gauge. If you check your tyre pressure when your car or tyres are warm then it won't tell you an accurate reading as the pressure increases as your car get hot. Also don't forget to put your valves back on after checking the pressure!
Check The Tyre Tread Every 2-4 Weeks -
The reason why it's so important to make sure you check your tyre tread often is because the less amount of tread on your tyres means a bigger breaking distance as there isn't as much grip left. This means when you brake, you won't come to a stop as quick as you'd like. This is particularly dangerous if you need to do an emergency stop. Also if the weather conditions are bad then you could easily slide off the road or into another car/person so it's just not worth the risk of driving around with bad tyres. Another reason why you should sort out your tyres is because if you are pulled over by the police and you're found to have one or more tyre with a tread depth below the legal limit then they will fine you £2,500 and add 3 penalty points to your license (per tyre!).
The law says that you should have at least a 1.6mm depth but many known manufacturers would recommend changing your tyres before then when they are at around 3mm depth. So how do you check your tyre tread? You can use a special device called a tread depth gauge or you can do the "20p test" which I tend to use just because I personally find it easier. To do this you just place a 20p coin into the grooves of each tyre and see if you can see the outer band of the coin. If you can't see the band then your tyre is safe and above the legal limit of 1.6mm but if you can see the outer band of the coin then it means your tyres are not legally safe and need changing.
Get New Tyres Fitted ASAP -
If you are in need of some new tyres then get it done ASAP! It's just not worth the risk of potentially putting yourself, anyone who is a passenger in your car and also other people on the road. In Basingstoke tyres are available at Headley Tyres. You can also pop in to get a free tyre check if you have any doubts about how your tyres are doing.
They stock a huge range of tyres from popular makes and sizes and they are also able to source almost anything within a day or two from their manufacturers and wholesale suppliers. You can order your tyres easily on their site by entering your registeration number and the tyre size you need. You then just choose a brand and book a date and time which suits you.
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