Replacing your tyres is often a task that is overlooked by many motorists, however, it is a very important part of car maintenance. Not all drivers know how to check their tyres or how often to buy new ones. Your tyres should always be in good, roadworthy conditions at all times, to not only keep you safe but others around you as well. If your tyres are overly worn you will notice that you have less control on the road and a poorer grip, as well as increasing the risk of aquaplaning in wet conditions. With worn tyres, your vehicle will take much longer to stop and you could even be at risk of a blowout.
There are a number of obvious signs that your tyres need replacing, and you should always take a close look at your tyres before you drive. If you begin to experience any of the following issues, you should look into buying some new tyres:
- There’s not enough tread depth
When you purchase new tyres they should come with at least 8mm tread depth to help maintain excellent grip to the road. However, as time passes, the more you drive the more your tyres will wear away. It is your responsibility to ensure your tread depth doesn’t drop below a certain depth.
Always remember that your tyre tread should have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm. This is a legal requirement and if you’re caught driving with tyres that are considered dangerous you could end up with a fine and points on your license.
- Your tyres are 10 years old
As part of car maintenance, you should always keep an eye on the condition of your tyres, however, your tyres should be inspected by a professional once they’re five years old. Once your tyres become 10 years old from the day they were manufactured, they will almost certainly need replacing. You can also tell when your tyres need changing by checking their mileage. You can check this by looking at the manufacturer’s recommendations for how many miles your tyres can travel before they need changing.
- Shaky driving
If you begin to experience more of a shaky drive and you can feel more vibrations than usual whilst driving, this could have something to do with your tyres. If there isn’t enough tread depth, you could be in for a bumpy ride. If you’re not sure whether the level of vibration is normal, see if you can find a newly resurfaced section of road. If it’s still shaky and loud when you move onto the smooth tarmac, you will need to get your tyres checked.
- You can see cracks
Look out for any visible cracks when you’re inspecting your tyres. A crack in the sidewall is an early warning sign for a potential blowout, which can be extremely dangerous when travelling at speed. Cracks can happen because of the deterioration in the chemicals and oils in the rubber material the tyres are made of. There are numerous factors to be made aware of, for example, tyres on cars that are left outside exposed to the sun can suffer from deterioration.
- Bulges and blisters
If there are obvious defects on the outside of the tyre, from splits to bulges, this usually means that there’s something seriously wrong internally. If you see anything unusual, you should get this checked out straight away.