You may think driving with under-inflated tyres is harmless, however, if these are left too long then you might put yourself and others in danger. This is why it’s important to identify under-inflated tyres early, so you can make sure you carry out the right procedures to get yourself back on the road in the safest way possible. Read on to find out more about tyre safety and the impact under-inflated tyres can have on your vehicle.
How Would Underinflated Tyres Affect Your Vehicle?
Under-inflated tyres affect many important vehicle systems, including tyre wear, fuel consumption, steering and braking. It’s important to keep on top of your tyre pressures, checking at least once a month to avoid these issues.
Uneven Tyre Wear
This can affect the sidewalls of your tyre, which can lead to them becoming misshapen and bulging out due to the lack of internal air pressure that can hold the correct tyre shape. If your side walls begin to bulge, this can lead to the edges of the tyre tread getting more wear than usual due to being in contact with the ground more often. If there isn’t any action taken place on this tyre wear and it’s left for too long then this can lead to excessive wear, which could result in tyre bursts in areas where the rubber is too thin to hold the pressure.
If you notice anything unusual with your tyres, distortions or bulges, and you live close to a garage, make sure to take extra care when you’re driving to the garage for a replacement, drive slowly and carefully. If you’ve noticed a serious bulge then we would advise you to not drive your car and change the wheel if you have a spare, or contact your breakdown service provider.
Increased Fuel Consumption
With under-inflated tyres comes poor fuel economy, which leads to increased ‘rolling resistance’ and your engine working harder to go at the same speed, resulting in more fuel being used.
Poor Steering Performance
As tyre rubber has more slack in it when it’s in an unpressurised state or a less-pressurised state, this can impact your steering performance, making it more sluggish than before. That’s because it takes more of a side-to-side turn to actually turn the tyre itself. If you fail to keep the correct pressure then it becomes harder to control your car when driving at speed. You’ll notice when turning corners that your car bounces around bends as opposed to holding its grip on the road.
Shorter Lifespan
It is estimated that reduced tyre pressure can reduce tread life by 25%-30%. As expensive as tyres are, they are essential to road safety, so it is important to maintain them well.
Other Causes Of Underinflated Tyres:
- A cut or embedded sharp item, for example, a nail or screw.
- Losing air naturally (can lose a rate of 2 psi every month).
- Poorly sealed valve or corrosion on your alloy wheel where the tyre is unable to seal correctly around the wheel.
- Hitting potholes.
- Temperature dropping during colder months can affect your tyre pressures.
What Can I Do About Underinflated Tyres?
It’s not the end of the world – there are a couple of options that you can look into. There are paid air compressors at petrol stations that you can use, or you can use a 12v compressor at home. It’s advisable to regularly check your tyre pressures, ideally once a month or before any long journeys.