*Disclosure – This is a collaborative post
I have written many times about car care and how important it is to look after your tyres. Before setting off on any long journey we always check our tyre pressures, tyre wear and anything unusual about our tyres like cuts or bulges. As well as the oil, water and screenwash levels.
Incorrectly inflated tyres can rapidly increase wear, gives a higher chance of tyre failure and also reduces your fuel economy. We have digital tyre inflator which makes checking tyres a breeze, you could also use the machine at your fuel station, and if you really do not know how to do it, most local tyre dealers are only too happy to help out.
If your tyres show signs of cuts or any perishing, you should definitely get them checked as soon as possible. Damaged tyres are so much more likely to fail when you are ravelling at speed or when they are under load and the results of a tyre failing on the motorway can be catastrophic.
Treadwear is probably the most important thing to check. If your tyres have less than 1.6mm of tread, you can be fined up to £2500 per tyre as well as getting 3 penalty points on your licence. The tread on the tyre is not to provide grip, it is to move water from between the tyre surface and the road. The less tread you have on your tyres, the less water you can disperse when the roads are wet. If water gets between your tyres and the road, you are at risk of aquaplaning. Effectively your car is floating on top of the water which makes it extremely difficult to control and avoid an accident.
Although we make every effort to ensure our tyres are fit to use before we start any journey, we recently stopped in Basingstoke while we were visiting the Hampshire Downs. We had had a lovely day exploring so decided to head into Basingstoke to get a bite to eat and prepare for our journey home. Unfortunately, when we returned to the car, we saw that one of the tyres was punctured. Like many modern cars, our spare tyre was only to be used for a maximum of 50 miles and seeing as we were nearly three times that from home we started calling around local garages in the Basingstoke area. We found Point-S tyres that are a network of independent dealers. We travelled to the nearest branch and had our tyre replaced quickly and efficiently and we were able to continue on our journey with minimum fuss. I would much rather support smaller local garages and Point-S allows you to find them. If you ever need to buy tyres in Basingstoke try Point-S tyre dealers.
Have you ever had a puncture on your travels?
*Disclosure – This is a collaborative post
Luckily my last puncture was overnight and my son changed the tyre for me