With this in mind, we\u2019ve got together with them to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about tyres.<\/p>\n
Is checking my tyres regularly really necessary?<\/h2>\n
In a word, yes! Check your tyres regularly, not just now and again, for the simple reason that your tyres are so important for your driver safety. Think about it; they\u2019re the only bit of your car that\u2019s in contact with the road. And consider this: the tyre contact patch is only about the size of a smartphone \u2013 that\u2019s all! It\u2019s your tyres that generate the essential grip you require to not only stay in control your car, but brake quickly and safely too. Without good tyres, you\u2019d be in trouble.<\/p>\n
When inspecting your tyres you should include checking for tyre wear \u2013 especially on tyre tread depths<\/a> \u2013 and possible tyre damage<\/a>. Your tyre pressures need your attention too. If you do all of this on a regular basis, it will go some way to helping ensure your tyres remain in good condition. This, in turn, will help to keep you safer on the road.<\/p>\n Good question. Your tyre tread depths play an incredibly important role in generating the grip you need to drive safely. Without it, you wouldn\u2019t be able to accelerate, corner or brake with any control. It\u2019s these grooves that run along the central length of your tyre that disperse any water from the road surface. If your tyres have good tread depth \u2013 both Asda Tyres and Continental recommend a minimum of 3mm \u2013 then you\u2019ll find it a lot easier to cope on wet roads.<\/p>\n Less than this amount \u2013 even as little as the UK legal minimum of just 1.6mm \u2013 and you\u2019re putting yourself at risk of slipping and sliding dangerously when it\u2019s wet. You\u2019ll also require longer stopping distances<\/a> when braking, and that means a greatly increased chance of having a collision. Independent braking tests conclusively demonstrate that it can take motorists up to twice as far to come to a stop when tyres have just 1.6mm of tread depth, compared to those with 3mm, on wet roads.<\/p>\n And in the event you have even less that the UK legal minimum tyre tread depth, you\u2019ll not only be responsible for endangering your own driver safety, but that of any passengers, as well as fellow road users. You\u2019ll also be chancing a large fine and penalty points on your licence if you\u2019re stopped by the police and found to have illegal tyres fitted. In this event, you\u2019ll incur a fine of \u00a32,500 and three points for each illegal tyre. You\u2019re better off all round regularly checking your tyre treads \u2013 you can do so with the \u201c20p Test\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tyres typically come with TWIs \u2013 tread wear indicators \u2013 for 1.6mm, but all Continental 5 series and above premium tyres \u2013 like their award winning PremiumContact\u2122 6<\/a> \u2013have TWIs at 3mm too. And now that you know what a difference having this extra tread depth can have on your braking performance and stopping distances, it makes sense to look out for the 3mm TWI when you regularly inspect your tyres, and if seen get your tyres changed, right?<\/p>\n The right pressures are important because they \u2013 literally \u2013 keep your tyres in good shape. Tyre pressures will not only vary from vehicle to vehicle, but also differ depending on whether your vehicle is laden or unladen<\/a>. For these reasons, there is a different value for each state, and these will typically be found on the inside of the driver door, or inside your vehicle\u2019s fuel cap.<\/p>\n Your pressures matter<\/a> because when correctly inflated, tyres can perform at their optimum best. However, when they\u2019re either under inflated or over inflated, they won\u2019t perform as well, and you won\u2019t get the best out of them. In either state of incorrect inflation there are consequences \u2013 some economic, some life threatening, but all negative.<\/p>\n With under inflated tyres, drivers run the risk of uneven tyre wear, typically at the outside edges of the tyre. This is due to the (incorrect) shape of an under inflated tyre \u2013 too flat at the bottom. This means more of the tyre edge makes contact with the road \u2013 as well as kerbs when parking \u2013 and as a result uneven wear takes place. This unnecessary increased contact also results in more fuel being needed to turn your wheels, since the overtly flat bottom of the tyre offers more resistance to turning \u2013 and that\u2019s an additional expense that nobody needs, right?<\/p>\n There\u2019s also tyre wear when your tyres are over inflated, but in this case it typically takes place along the centre of the tyre \u2013 where your main tread grooves are. This is because the narrower shape of over inflated tyres puts all the contact with the road in this area, and, consequently, wear is increased.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, this is just the place on the tyre where you need the most grip, and, as a result, over inflated tyres have an increased risk of tyre blowout and puncture. This is due to the fact that over inflation results in the tyres being too taut, without sufficient flex and give in them to absorb shocks and impacts.<\/p>\n For all these reasons, checking your pressures as part of your regular tyre inspection makes a lot of sense.<\/p>\n How long is a piece of string?! We can\u2019t offer you an exact figure, but we can tell you \u2013 from experience \u2013 that the amount of time will depend on many factors, including:<\/p>\n – How often you drive<\/p>\n – Your driving style<\/p>\n – The quality of the tyres you have fitted<\/p>\n All of these factors will differ from person to person, but if, for example, you\u2019re an occasional driver who only uses their car or SUV for the occasional short runs into town \u2013 say for a little weekly shopping, or even every morning for the school run \u2013 you\u2019ll incur less tyre wear than say, someone travelling thousands of miles at high speed each year up and down the motorway.<\/p>\n This, however, is also dependent on the way you drive. If you\u2019re an aggressive driver (you know who you are) you\u2019ll be putting a lot more stress on your tyres than someone who has a more conservative technique. These different driving styles will have their own impact on tyre wear. And so will the amount, and the regularity, of bumps and scrapes your tyres have to endure \u2013 such as when attempting to park, and scuffing them.<\/p>\n The quality of your tyres is a huge factor as well. Experience tells us that the majority of motorists think \u201call tyres look the same\u201d. We know that the truth is quite different. Each different tyre manufacturer uses their own unique compound, and as with everything, some are of very high quality, and some are not. The difference in quality tends to be reflected in the tyre price<\/a>.<\/p>\n The quality of your tryes makes a tremendous difference to not only the longevity of a tyre, but its safety characteristics too. In any exact like for like usage comparison, premium tyres \u2013 with their superior compounds \u2013 will perform much better than cheaper, budget tyres. When it comes to premium vs budget tyres<\/a>, there\u2019s only one winner. That\u2019s not just our opinion, but also that of independent tyre testers as well.<\/p>\n Eventually, however, all tyres \u2013 whether premium or budget \u2013 will ultimately wear down to the point where they no longer provide sufficient grip, and need changing. Nevertheless, with premium tyres \u2013 such as Continental\u2019s award—winning SportContact\u2122 6<\/a> \u2013 you\u2019ll not only get significantly superior performance, but \u2013 in an exact like-for-like usage comparison \u2013 longer tyre life too.<\/p>\n![\"tyre_faqs_stopping_distances_article\"](\"https:\/\/www.asdatyres.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/tyre_faqs_stopping_distances_article.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWhat\u2019s so important about my tyre tread depths?<\/h2>\n
![\"tyre_faqs_pc6_award_article\"](\"https:\/\/www.asdatyres.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/tyre_faqs_pc6_award_article.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nTWIs \u2013 Tread Wear Indicators<\/h2>\n
Why are my tyre pressures so important?<\/h2>\n
![\"tyre_faqs_pressures_article\"](\"https:\/\/www.asdatyres.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/tyre_faqs_pressures_article.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nHow long can I expect my tyres last for?<\/h2>\n
![\"tyre_faqs_sc6_award_article\"](\"https:\/\/www.asdatyres.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/tyre_faqs_sc6_award_article.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n