Look after your tyres, and they will look after you

Look after your tyres, and they will look after you

After releasing figures of the thousands of accidents involving bad tyres that plague UK roads, a motoring body has given advice to motorists aimed to improve understanding of good tyre care.

In the three month period of April to June this year, there were 3,852 accidents relating to tyres and tyre condition on English motorways, according to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), the originators of the study into tyre-related incidents. With this in mind, the 'Motorway Month' awareness campaign has been launched by the IAM, with an aim to improve the quality of driving on the UK's busy highways, and also improve safety on the motorway.

The IAM have come up withe acronym P.A.C.T, which stands for Performance, Air Pressure, Condition and Tread Depth.

Performance will come with a tyre in good condition, and a healthy tyre will increase your fuel economy, as well as giving you better handling and grip on the road.

Air pressure should be given regular checkups, as too low a pressure results in a higher likelihood of damage to the tyre. Low air pressure also pushes fuel consumption up. Make sure tyres are always at their recommended pressure level.

Condition of a tyre is key to it's performance. Regular checking of the tyre surface will highlight any foreign bodies in the tread, as well as any patches where the wear is uneven, or any other damage to the tyre surface.

Tread depth allows better grip for the vehicle in more extreme weather conditions, of which we are seeing more and more of. To stay legal, the tread of a tyre should be 1.6mm at the extreme minimum, but even this is pushing it, with IAM published guidelines recommending 3mm as a minimum.

Having your tyres checked on a regular schedule is essential to keep your vehicle safe on the UK's roads. How ever careful you are, there will always be a time when you need to change a tyre. By having a practise run of changing a tyre in your driveway or in a car park, you can feel more secure that you would be able to help yourself in such a situation, and not be reliant on expensive breakdown services.

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