All over the country, there is one priority on the road that all drivers should keep at the forefront of their minds. This is safety, the most crucial part of motoring whether it is for business or pleasure. If you have a family, then road safety becomes even more important. Whether you live in a big city like London, Leeds or Liverpool or mostly drive around more rural areas, such as Kendal, Keswick or Kirkbymoorside, keeping your family safe when you’re on the road must be the number one consideration. In this regard, far too many motorists fail to check their tyres properly to ensure they are roadworthy. What should you be doing to keep your family secure when you’re out and about?
Properly Inflate Your Tyres
Nearly every car owner knows that they shouldn’t drive around on flat tyres. This is dangerous and means you won’t be able to corner properly, potentially leading to a catastrophic loss of control. You might notice your tyres are spreading out under the weight of the car when they’re under-inflated but this means they have already gone well beyond the safe inflation level. In fact, you can’t actually see when a tyre is partially flat. You need to take your car to a garage and use the pump to detect the pressure of your tyres. Do this every few thousand miles or even more frequently if you live somewhere like London where there are lots of speed bumps you have to drive over. Keep your tyres inflated to the recommended level but don’t go over it because this also causes safety concerns with less grip.
Replace Worn Down Tyres
Check the tread depth of your tyres. You can do this with a twenty-pence coin. The rim of these coins is the same as the legal minimum tread depth so simply place the coin into the grooves of your tyres and look at it sideways on. If the rim disappears from view, then your tyres have sufficient tread to be legal. To be safe, however, you’ll want the rim to go out of view and have some tread to spare. Make sure your tyres have sufficient tread all the way around them, too. If your tyres are balding or reaching the legal threshold, then don’t hesitate to replace them, especially if you are planning on driving in a busy city like London. You can find quality tyres in London at Elite Direct or an outlet near you. Wherever you buy your tyres, ask for a professional fitting service and check the wheel alignment while you’re at it. This can help to prevent lane drift on high-speed roads like the M1 or M25.
Check For Sidewall Damage
Some tyres look fine on the outside edge but develop gouges or bulges on their sides. If your tyres show degradation like this, then it usually means the compounds they are made from are starting to split. This may lead to a blowout on the road or even worse on your driveway close to where children might be at play. If you see these issues, take your car to a tyre fitter immediately.
Inspect Your Spare Tyre
Finally, taking to the road with your family as passengers means covering all eventualities. Although you don’t need to carry a spare tyre with you by law, it is a good idea to have one ready to go should you need it in an emergency. Check your spare tyre is inflated and operational. Make sure you know its range and any speed restrictions that may apply should you fit it, too.
Overall, tyre safety is more than being able to drive without causing problems for yourself and other road users. It is about keeping those you care for most safe and secure. Why compromise on that?