Tyre Safety
From a safety point of view tyres are one of the most important parts on you car. The only thing keeping you on the road are the tyres. Worn or damaged tyres can cause accidents resulting in serious harm to you, your passengers and other road users, and not to mention that your insurance will not be valid if you have worn tyres. It is important you have the correct tyres for the vehicle you are driving and important you carry out the following safety checks.Tyre Care
> Check tyre pressures regularly, only when the tyres are cold and try to do this every 2 weeks. Don`t forget to check the spare! Look at your vehicle handbook for the correct pressures for your vehicle. Driving with incorrect tyre pressures can dramatically change the handling of the vehicle and can be dangerous.> Check the sidewalls for any cuts, cracks or buldging. If you have any of these have them checked by an expert immediately.
> Check the tyre tread for uneven wear – wearing on one side of the tread may mean the tracking/alignment requires adjusting. Wearing on both sides of the tread is a sign that the tyre is underinflated and wearing on the centre of the tread can mean the tyre is overinflated.
For more safety information visit www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk
The Law
According to the law your vehicle must be fitted with the correct tyres that are suitable for the purpose it is being used.> The minimum legal tread depth is 1.6mm across 75% of the tread around the full circumference of the tyre.
To guarantee good traction in wet conditions we recommend changing tyres at around 3mm. – Did you know, at 1.6 millimetres in wet road conditions it takes up to an extra 8 metres to stop at 50 mph than if your tread was 3 millimetres!
> If you have tyres on your vehicle that are worn beyond the legal limit you can be faced with 3 penalty points and £2500 in fines for each illegal tyre.
> It is also an offence, not to mention dangerous, to have tyres on your vehicle which have bulges or cuts. If you are in any doubt consult a tyre expert.
Side Wall Markings
What do all the numbers and letters mean?
The numbers and letters on a tyre provide the user with all the information about that particular tyre. Typical information you will find is:
- Tyre size
- Load Index
- Speed rating
- “E” marking
1. Tyre Size
The size of the tyre is the usually the first thing to look for when choosing a new tyre. Examples are:
165 = Width
65 = Sidewall height
14 = Internal Diameter (also the diameter of the wheel)
2. Load Index
The load index provides information regarding the maximum weight the tyre can carry. If you have any doubts about the correct load index for your vehicle then contact your local main dealer.
The chart below shows what payload each Load Index can carry:
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3. Speed Rating
The maximum speed the tyre can travel at carrying its maximum weight. This is represented on the tyre as a symbol.Below is a chart which shows what maximum speeds each symbol represents:
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4. European “E” Marking
All new tyres must meet European standards for load/speed performance, shown by an 'E' mark on the sidewall of the tyre.At TyreDrive we only sell tyres which have this E mark.
