Tyre Safety Checklist for Summer Motoring
Summer might be the best time of year to experience the open road, but it is also the worst time to break down. If you suffer from a faulty tyre, then you can be left stranded by the side of the road in uncomfortably hot conditions with a vehicle full of passengers waiting to be attended to by a roadside recovery service. This is not how to enjoy summer! What do you need to check before you spend hours on the road in the summer's sun to confirm that your car tyres are safe?
Tyre Tread Wear
Your car's tyres provide grip when you are pulling away. Good tread is also essential for allowing you to brake in a timely fashion. If your tread becomes worn, then you cannot drive with the level of control needed to be safe at all times. Bear in mind that this is so even if your tyre tread depth has not yet dropped below the legal limit in Australia. Have your tyres inspected by a professional when you take your vehicle in for a car service so you are given you an indication of how long you have left on them before they become unsafe. Alternatively, invest in a tyre tread depth gauge and do the job yourself.
Flat Tyres
Motoring on flat car tyres results in an ever-worsening fuel economy. The flatter a car tyre becomes the more fuel needs to be burned in the engine to turn it. As a result, you end up spending more dollars on petrol for every journey you make — a big consideration on a long summer road trip. More importantly, partially flat tyres don't make contact with the road properly. This makes them less safe to drive on than correctly inflated ones. When you turn your steering wheel when driving on a flat tyre, the motion of the car will force the tyre slew out against the tarmac. As a consequence, you could lose control especially if the road is sticky from the sun's heat. You might even spin out across the road and end up in the path of oncoming traffic! Inflate your tyres to the car manufacturer's recommended level.
Tyres With Bulges
Ultraviolet rays from summer sunlight can damage tyres over prolonged periods. If your tyres are out in the sun more than usual during the summer, then the rubber compound of your car's tyres may begin to degrade. One of the first symptoms of this is a bulge or two that might appear on your tyres' sidewalls. Replace such tyres as soon as possible and don't wait until you return from your summer road trip because it means a blowout is imminent.