Tyres are the only thing between your car and the concrete screaming by below you when you drive, making tyres one of the most critical features to take care of. Unfortunately, most car owners don’t understand the role their tyres play in keeping them safe, and they can get overlooked. 

Tyres are subject to a lot of wear and tear when you’re driving, so it’s important to check them regularly to ensure they are still functional and safe for driving. Many checks will need to be performed by a mechanic at your regular services, but there are also several checks that you can perform yourself in between services that will help ensure the functionality and safety of your tyres.

Conduct visual inspections

Often, tyres go completely unchecked and unnoticed until something goes wrong with them. If your tyres feel off when you drive, or you end up with a flat tyre, the issues are often things that could have been prevented by creating a habit out of performing a visual check/

About once a month, you should be spending just five minutes or so inspecting your tyres for any foreign objects or damage. You also want to look out for how even the wear is on each tyre. 

Fill your tyres

Keeping your tyres at the correct tyre pressure not only helps keep you safe, but it also helps you save money on petrol and tyre replacements. It’s a simple and easy thing that you can have a huge impact if you make a monthly habit of it.

You want to use the machines provided at most petrol stations to check and refill your tyres to the pressure specified in your user manual. Be careful as well to avoid the trap of thinking filling them above the recommended pressure will keep them inflated for longer. Overinflated tyres can be just as dangerous as underinflated tyres. They are likely to cause uneven wear and even permanently distort the shape of the tyres which is especially dangerous in wet weather because your tyres will struggle to grip the road properly. 

Avoid tyre trauma

Tyres are pretty fantastic at coping with the normal wear and tear of driving, but some types of tyre trauma can cause serious, hidden damage that only presents itself later, and can lead to some dangerous situations. 

Things like taking your car over a pothole, or nipping the curb as you park can crack the tyre’s inner liner. This can then cause a sidewall bubble, which can pop. Often it will hold for several weeks, and then pop while the car is moving. These can sometimes be detected with your visual inspection, but most often they are entirely hidden. Avoiding this kind of tyre trauma can be tricky, but it’s important to try as much as possible so you can avoid dangerous tyre problems. 

In addition to your monthly checks, you should also have your tyres checked regularly by a professional to detect and correct any larger issues. You should also enlist the help of a professional as soon as you notice something off in your regular visual inspection. Pearson Automotive is your local mechanic Brisbane, and we are pros at all things tyres. Whether you need a wheel alignment Brisbane, or any other tyre service, come and see what the team can do for you!