Ignorance of tyre maintenance endangers UK motorists tyre maintenace 2 The Blackcircles survey suggests an alarmingly low level of knowledge on the link between tyre maintenance and road safety. More than half “do not carry out any form of tyre maintenance”. Of well over 1,000 participants, 67% did not know which model or brand of tyre was fitted to their vehicle and 56% of participants do not carry out tyre maintenance themselves. Women are three times less likely to check and maintain their tyres than their male counterparts. This is concerning given the importance of tyres. Regardless of car or brand tyres are the only parts that touch tarmac and ensure cars sticks to the road. The car’s touch-point with the surfac extremely small. Despite this the motorist expects the tyres without exception to smoothly translate the engine’s power into momentum and to help the vehicle brake and steer. These tasks must be performed in conditions such as extreme heat in the summer, rain in the autumn, and snow in the winter. The message to drivers is to check tyres are fit for purpose: How To Check Tyres Checking a tyre is straightforward and requires very little knowledge. The first consideration is the pressure which influences how the car corners, brakes, rides, and steers. Incorrect pressure can also damage the tyre. The correct pressure can be confirmed via a sticker that is often located on the driver-side b-pillar. If not, refer to the manual. Remember too that cars often require different pressures at the front/back and while heavily laden. The next consideration is tread depth. The legal minimum is 1.6mm across the central 75% of the tyre’s width, and around its circumference. This can be checked via a gauge or the wear indicators that (most) tyres have within their tread. However, to maintain the vehicle’s performance it is best to replace a tyre when its tread hits 3mm. Check for consistent wear. The left side, for example, should wear fairly evenly with the right. If not, this indicates a (possible) problem with the car’s tracking that should be rectified. Check for tears, punctures, bulges, and cracking that might compromise the tyre’s integrity. However you check your tyres, if you have any doubts, get them checked professionally by a tyre specialist. « Previous Next » Posted by: Garage Wire Administrator on 21st June 2013 - See more at: garagewire.co.uk/news/ignorance-of-tyre-maintenance-could-be-endangering-uk-motorists/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=News&utm_content=News+CID_107cb95b619a62f4485fcb600e9c29f4&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Ignorance%20of%20tyre%20maintenance%20endangers%20UK%20motorists#sthash.SEEaoOt4.dpuf
Posted on: Tue, 09 Jul 2013 12:35:27 +0000
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