Staying Safe While Driving – 6 Tyre Checks You Should Be Doing

Back in 2016, I bought what is my absolute pride and joy in a white convertible Smart Car – the first car I had ever solely gone to the garage and bought on my own. Since then we’ve had a little bit of a love-hate relationship, me and Mr Smart, mainly owing to my complete inability to look after him.

So far, two failed MOT tests over the past 2 years I’ve had him, I’ve decided that I need to take better care, for his sake and my bank account – no I do not want to be shelling out another £750 next year because I’ve worn my tyres into the ground and got a hole in my exhaust again because of it (whoops).

Everyone always tells you to check your tyres for damage and keep them at the correct pressure. But the problem is, especially in Essex, you are faced with a pothole every few feet, and when you are driving the car equivalent of a roller skate, you should probably be taking a little more care.

So working with Point S, I have put together a list on why Tyre Safety Checks are so important that you  – and if the worse case does happen, you need new tyres and don’t want to wait, don’t hang around! 

So what exactly can you expect from neglecting your tyres? Let me tell you!

1. Picture this, it’s the weekend, you’ve been thinking of going shopping all week, you’re halfway there and all the sudden, BOOM. You’ve got a flat – now you’re stuck on the M25, no shopping and waiting for roadside recovery – what a treat! Accidents and breakdowns are just one thing you can expect if you neglect your tyres.
2. Who wants to be spending more money than needs be, if you don’t take care of your tyres your fuel won’t be as efficient, petrol is already astronomically expensive, you don’t need that hun – put that money to better use.
3. If you over inflate or under inflate your tyres it can cause faulty pressure – this obviously isn’t great, both mean you have reduced stability and control – which you definitely don’t need, especially with the unpredictable UK weather.
4. If your tyre tread depth is less than 1.6mm, they will not be road legal – Many things can cause this such as driving erratically, loading your car up too heavy or having the incorrect tyre pressure. Make sure you carry out the 20p test to make sure your tread depth is safe here. It could save you a hefty fine or worse, your health.
5. If your tyres aren’t in a roadworthy condition you can kiss goodbye to your car passing an MOT – Make sure you are checking the pressure, walls and tread of your tyres before you carry out any tests to save on unnecessary costs. If you do discover that you have any problems, you can find your tyres online at Point S, replacing old worn tyres with new ones will help you pass your MOT without any trouble!
6. Lastly, it is vital to ensure that your tyres are not bald or worn out as this can cause fatal accidents if not replaced. Make sure you are checking this for your own safety and wellbeing, there are so many dangers in life – don’t let something so simple be one of them.

I hope this makes you see the importance of tyre safety – And now’s your chance to be honest, how frequently do you check your tyres? I’d love to know!

Courtney x

*This post has been written in collaboration with Point S