Check tyres once a month, every month, says GEM

ROAD SAFETY AND breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist is urging motorists to make monthly checks on tyres, to ensure tread depths are sufficient and pressures are correct.

Correct tyre pressure is not only vital for your safety on the road, it’s also the best way to maximise fuel economy, according to GEM road safety officer Neil Worth.

“We rely on our tyres to keep us safe on journeys. After all, they provide the only contact between the car we’re driving and the road surface. In an extreme situation, correctly inflated tyres with good levels of tread will allow all the other safety systems on a car to work at their most effective.

“Inadequate tread or incorrect pressure mean one thing: the safety systems on your vehicle will not work as efficiently. That’s why regular checks on tyre inflation and tread depth are so important.

“There are severe penalties if you use worn or defective tyres. Each bald or defective tyre carries a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points.”

Under-inflated tyres reduce your vehicle’s ability to grip the road, and also compromise handling. This can result in unpredictable vehicle behaviour, and increases the risk of a tyre blowout, where sudden rapid deflation occurs.

Over-inflated tyres have a smaller contact area with the road, leading to increased stopping distance and reduced grip. There’s likely to be a lot more wear across the central part of the tyre, leading to a shorter lifespan.

Neil Worth encourages drivers to check their vehicle owner’s manual, and find out what the correct pressures for front and rear tyres should be. “Make a regular check to ensure you keep your tyres at those pressures,” he says.

“In line with advice in this year’s Tyre Safety Month campaign, we suggest a check once a month, every month, as well as before any long journey. By doing so, you’ll be giving all the safety systems on your vehicle the best chance of working to their maximum potential, you’ll help ensure your tyres last longer and you’ll be ensuring your running costs don’t increase unnecessarily.

“After all, properly inflated tyres require less energy than under-inflated tyres to make them turn, so your vehicle will use less fuel.”

GEM is supporting Tyre Safety Month, which runs nationwide until 31 October 2018.