Tyres play a key role in keeping us safe whilst driving so it’s vital we give thought to their care and condition as part of overall driving safety. If your tyres are ill-fitted, aren’t appropriately inflated or aren’t in good condition, your vehicle may be unroadworthy without you knowing it.
So spare a thought for your tyres and read these 10 important tyre safety tips that every driver should take heed of.
#1 Choose the right tyres for your vehicle
It sounds obvious, but if you’re driving around with tyres that don’t properly fit your vehicle, you’re risking your safety.
It’s really important to do your research when shopping for tyres to ensure they’re the right fit for your car, and the right style of tyre for the driving you intend to do.
Check your vehicle’s handbook to ensure any tyres you’re considering buying are the correct aspect ratio, rim diameter, and width.
Also ensure prospective tyres have a load and speed rating that matches up with your vehicle, the conditions you‘ll be driving in, and the kind of driving you plan to do, i.e. factor in the kind of surfaces you expect to drive on. Off-road driving will likely require a certain kind of tyre, and if you live in a particularly hot or humid location, you need tyres to suit the climate. For more information on choosing tyres, see our article Making the right choice of tyres. And for info on the type of tyre tread you need for your driving, see our article on Tyre Tread Patterns – Types and Differences.
It can be complicated to get right, so if you don’t have it in you to do the research (totally understandable) then speak with an expert at Jim’s Mobile Tyres. Our technicians know all things tyres, and can recommend the appropriate ones for your vehicle and needs.
#2 Check tyre pressure
Few people bother to regularly check their car tyre pressure, but making these checks routine will make driving safer for you and your passengers.
It’s recommended you check tyre pressure at least monthly, with the general suggestion being to check pressure every second time you refuel at the service station. Service stations generally have tyre pressure gauges available free of charge. You can use them to check pressure and inflate/deflate according to what your vehicle needs. It doesn’t take long, and it’s important. (For information on what your tyre pressure should be, read What PSI Should My Car Tyres Be?)
Different driving conditions require different tyre pressure, so adjust your tyres if you plan to carry a heavy load in/on your vehicle, or tow a trailer. Also, adjust if you need to drive at high speeds regularly, which requires slightly higher pressure. Refer to your car’s handbook for best advice. If you plan to drive off-road and on sand or gravel, again, you’ll need to adjust the pressure (deflate slightly) and remember to inflate before you return to on road driving.
Leaving your tyre pressure checks to your car’s service is a very bad idea. Whilst tyre pressure checks are part of a standard service, in between services you may be driving around with deflated tyres, which may reduce your vehicle’s fuel capacity, reduce steering and cornering precision, and accelerate wear on your tyres.
Note, it’s important when you do your tyre pressure checks that you also check your spare. Even if not being used, air can naturally escape a spare tyre, so it’s important to keep them appropriately inflated so they are useful in a breakdown situation.
Still don’t want to do it yourself? Jim’s Mobile Tyres technicians can provide tyre pressure checks and adjust your tyre pressure at a location convenient for you. Give us a call and our mobile tyre shop will arrive at your door and be done in a flash.
#3 Check tyres for damage
It’s wise to regularly inspect your tyres for damage, especially if you’ve been driving in industrial areas where there may be sharp objects like nails and screws that can embed in your tyres, or if you’ve driven through areas where you can’t see what’s on the ground.
Also, if you drive in tropical zones, your tyres may develop cracks in their sidewalls due to moisture and heat.
If you see anything unusual on your tyres, get a professional to inspect them quickly, and organise a tyre repair if required. (Repairing your tyres saves you a lot of money on tyre replacement.)
#4 Check your tyre tread
If your tyre tread has worn too much, your vehicle may be unroadworthy. The minimum allowable depth of tyre tread in Australia is 1.6mm , but it’s not ideal to drive on tyres that have worn this much. The general advice is to replace a tyre once it gets down to 3mm of tread depth.
To check tread depth, place an Australian 20 cent coin into a central groove in your tyre and see if the tread reaches the bill of the platypus. If it doesn’t, then your tyre has 3mm or less tread, and you’ll need to sort out a replacement tyre.
Note, different tyres will wear faster than others depending on your vehicle and driving style. Tyres can also wear in patches, especially if your wheels are out of alignment.
For new tyres or a tyre fitting, contact Jims Mobile Tyres.
#5 Check wheel alignment
If you have rapid or uneven tyre tread wear, it could be the result of your wheels being out of alignment. Misaligned wheels can greatly contribute to tread wear, amongst other problems like steering issues and reduced fuel capacity.
A wheel alignment is suggested every 2-3 years, or whenever your vehicle has driven approximately 10,000 kms. Certain incidents can affect your wheel alignment, for instance if you drive over a pothole or hit the curb. If this is the case, you may need a wheel alignment sooner.
#6 Don’t leave your tyres on too long
Tyres don’t last forever, and tyres over 5 years old should be monitored. Any tyre over 10 years old needs replacing, regardless of how good it looks.
Some people avoid a tyre replacement because tyres cost money, but it’s not safe to drive on tyres that have exceeded their lifespan.
If you want to check the age of your tyres, look at your tyre. There’ll be a 4-digit code next to the DOT label. The numbers in the code represent the week and the year that your tyre was manufactured. So if the number says 1714, it means your tyres were made in the 17th week of 2014.
#7 Rotate your tyres
Tyre rotations are an important part of care for your vehicle as a whole, but too many people aren’t aware of this.
Front and rear tyres play their separate roles, and wear at different rates. Rotating them frequently ensures that the tread on the tyres wears more evenly, which will save you money on tyre replacements before they’re due. Rotation also helps ensure there’s more even tread on your tyres overall, which helps them safely grip the road—vital if you find yourself driving in slippery conditions.
Jim’s Mobile Tyres technicians can complete a tyre rotation. Just contact us to arrange a time for our mobile tyre shop to come to a location convenient for you.
For more on tyre rotations, see our article, Know When to Rotate Your Tyres.
#8 Keep a spare tyre or space saver tyre in your vehicle
If you run a flat and you’re too far away to call Jim’s Mobile Tyre shop, then it’s important to have a spare tyre so you can get back on the road.
There are two options when it comes to spares. If you have an older vehicle, there’s likely space available to keep a spare tyre, which should match the other tyres on your car.
The second option is a space saver tyre, which is more common in modern cars that are designed to carry little for energy efficiency reasons.
Where a spare tyre can be fitted to your car and remain on, a space saver tyre is only designed for temporary use (for as long as it takes you to get the car to a garage or mobile tyre repair shop).
Space saver tyres are best placed on the rear wheels, as they don’t provide the same level of grip on the road that a regular tyre will, and once fitted, you should not exceed 80km p/h as you drive.
#9 Be prepared to change a flat if you need
Perhaps not surprisingly, a lot of people don’t know how to change a tyre. If you’ve never had a flat, it’s understandable. But if you plan to drive in areas where you can’t rely on a tyre technician to help you, then you need to know how to change a flat.
To start with, you need to know you have a spare tyre or space saver tyre in workable condition in your car, a toolkit, a jack, and tyre changing know-how. See our article on How Do You Change A Tyre for that.
If you’re in town, you can take the easy route and call a mobile tyre shop like Jim’s Mobile Tyres, and we’ll fit a new tyre for you.
#10 Drive smart
If you have a hunch that poor driving can lead to premature wear and tear on your tyres, you’d be right. Driving at high speeds, fast braking and acceleration, driving on uneven surfaces, and aggressive driving all have their negative impacts on your tyres.
Remember, tyres cost money, so the more careful you are when behind the wheel, the better the chance your tyres will last their recommended lifespan.
For a rundown on how poor driving styles can impact your tyres, read our article Top 5 Tyre Issues Caused by Driving Styles.
In Summary…
Taking care with how you drive and performing regular checks on your tyres will really help improve the longevity of your tyres, and keep you safer on the road.
For a range of tyre services including tyre repairs, tyre fittings and tyre rotations, Jim’s Mobile Tyres are here to help. Contact us and we can come to a location convenient for you.
And for related posts on all things tyres, see our News page.
