Spring Car Maintenance: Check Your Tyres
Spring Tyre Maintenance Guide: Simple Checks for Safer Driving
As warmer weather approaches, now's a great time to get your tyres ready for the road. Many drivers focus on washing the car or tidying up the interior, but checking your tyres is one of the most important things you can do for safe spring travels. Tyres are the only part of your vehicle that touches the road, so keeping them safe and legal matters for your safety and others’ too.
You can browse our excellent range of tyres now to ensure optimal road safety and tyre performance ahead of the warmer months too!
To help you stay safe this spring, here are 5 quick and useful tyre checks:
1. Tyre Condition
Start with a visual inspection of the tyres:
- Look for any cuts, cracks, bulges, punctures, or damage as they could lead to tyre failure.
- Check for uneven tread wear as this may indicate wheel alignment issues (e.g. after hitting potholes).
Tyre sidewalls are especially important as they provide the structural support, absorb shock, and contain important information regarding the load capacity of your tyre. Damage or punctures to your sidewalls are generally irreparable.
2. Tyre Pressure
The next check you should carry out is tyre pressure. Having the correct tyre pressure saves fuel, helps your tyres last longer, and most importantly, keeps you and any passengers safe.
- Check tyre pressure with a digital pressure gauge, and only when the tyres are cold (before driving).
- Compare readings to the recommended pressure found in your owner's manual or on a label inside the driver's door frame or fuel flap.
Shop tyre inflators and pressure gauges
Why does correct tyre pressure matter?
- If your tyres are underinflated, it can reduce handling and increase fuel use.
- Overinflated tyres are prone to accelerated wear and reduced road grip.
It's vital to regularly check your tyres have the correct pressure to save any unwanted surprises. Especially before you set off on any spring getaways or if you're carrying heavy loads.
3. Tread Depth
Tread depth helps your tyre to grip the road and disperse water, meaning they're even more vital in wet conditions. By keeping your tyres well within their legal limits, you can improve the safety of your tyres, yourself and others on the road.
- The legal minimum tread depth in the UK is 1.6mm across the central 3/4.
- At National Tyres, we recommend replacing your tyres when the tread reaches 3mm to ensure optimal grip and safety throughout any unexpected spring showers.
How to check tread depth?
There are a few ways to check tyre tread depth, which we've listed in order of accuracy:
1. The most precise way to examine tread depth is using a tread depth gauge. By placing the gauge into the grooves of the tyre, it allows you to measure the tread depth to the nearest mm.
2. Use tread wear indicators in the tyre grooves as they act as a visual guide to inform you when the tyres are approaching the minimum tread depth.
3. In an emergency, you can use the 20p coin test. Insert the coin into the tread grooves - if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tread is likely too low. You should follow this up with a trip to your local garage or use a tread gauge.
Remember to check the tread depth in several spots across the tyre, otherwise you may miss uneven wear or wheel alignment issues.
4. Tyre Age
Tyres degrade over time, even if they visibly look ok.
- Examine the sidewall of your tyre for the DOT code, which tells you when the tyre was made (e.g. “1324”, means the 13th week of 2024).
- It's recommended that tyres aged over 6 - 10 years should be checked by a professional, as hidden age-related damage (like cracks) can make them unsafe to drive on.
As rubber degrades over time, it's proactive to keep an eye on when your tyre was made. That way, you can replace your tyre when need be and help keep yourself safe on the road.
5. Tyre Load
Tyres have a load index number marked on the sidewall to show you how much weight your tyres can safely handle.
- This is a crucial check if you are carrying heavy loads or towing caravans or trailers.
- Match the tyre's load rating to the specified load requirements located in the owner's manual.
Overloading can be very dangerous, affect handling, and lead to tyre failure, so take extra precautions and stay within safe limits.
Pro Tip: Free Tyre Check
Even basic tyre checks - condition, pressure, tread, age, and load - make a huge difference to your safety and tyre performance.
If you encounter anything you're unsure about during these at-home checks, pop into your local National garage for a FREE tyre check – we’re always here to help!
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