Tyre trials

Wednesday, 22 June 2011 16:00

Adventures in the world of car tyres.

So I noticed my tyre treads were getting low and spent a long time trying to ignore it. But eventually I had to admit the truth. I would have to get my car some new tyres to pass the MOT and remain legal.

The minimum tread depth for tyres on vans and cars in Great Britain is 1.6mm. Although actually, as I had started to notice, even getting close to this is not great to drive on. Braking distances on cars with low tread depths are significantly longer, especially in wet weather.

The grooves on the tyres act to disperse the water and allow the tyres to grip the road. So it is easy to imagine how a balding tyre functions; low water dispersion results in long stopping distances and also the possibility of aquaplaning. All quite scary stuff, so this was my real incentive; I needed new tyres to reduce the risk of a nasty accident.

Then there was the additional benefit of improved fuel consumption. Currently, I cry every time I use a petrol pump and I am a relatively low mileage driver. So anything that can cut down fuel costs has got to be good.

My Dad is a great source of advice when it comes to car related matters and I always seek his guidance. He had already checked the tyres and convinced me they needed replacing and his follow up advice was to get the same tyres fitted as when I bought the car. On this occasion I decided I would buck the trend and embarked on my own journey of car tyre research.

As expected I found a wealth of information on the internet. However, I know that internet advice should be treated with caution (hence why I am not mentioning what car I have or brands of tyres here). I will mention two websites that I found useful in my search.

Check out TyreSafe to improve your knowledge of tyres and keeping them roadworthy. A not-for-profit organisation, TyreSafe campaigns for safety in line with current legislation and duty of care regulations. Their booklet ‘Car tyres and your safety’ explains everything you need to know including what all the numbers and letters on the tyre sidewalls mean. So not only can you can make sure you get the correct ones but you can impress your mates down the pub (or not!). They also have information for drivers of trucks, vans, caravans and motorcycles.

I also discovered tyrereviews where I was able to read reviews of tyres by brand. I spent some time checking ratings for the tyres available in the garages near me. I also looked up my car model and compared which tyres rated well for my vehicle. Now I did state that internet advice should be treated with caution so common sense should be applied. But the useful thing is the reviews state the type of roads, style of driving and miles done. Meaning I could look for reviews from people with similar vehicles and driving style to my own.

My new tyres are now fitted and I am looking forward to putting them through their paces. I have to remember to allow them to wear in. It is recommended to drive moderately for the first 100 miles or so. There may be some slippery residue release oils from the tyre mould that need scrubbing off. And this time also allows the driver to get used to the vehicle handling which can be significantly different. I must say the first few miles have been great and I wish I hadn’t put of changing them! By Anna Livesey

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