7 Car tyre checks for family safety on the road

There is nothing that is more important than maintaining the safety of your car and this is especially the case when you drive around with little ones on board. All sorts of drivers neglect their cars’ safety systems imagining that they don’t need to take any action. However, when it comes to your tyres nothing could be further from the truth.

Tyres are not just there to allow your car's wheels to turn. They help you to steer into positions of safety and avoid potential trouble. Of course, another important job tyres do is to help you brake properly. They shouldn’t be overlooked as an essential part of your family’s safety. What do you need to know? Take a look below as we look at tyre safety.

1. Inspect car tyres with professional checking

Although a lot of things can be checked by yourself, having a professional tyre expert oversee the condition of your tyres can be invaluable from the point of view of safety. They are able to check things that you cannot necessarily see by eye, such as the alignment of your wheels, or come across problems that you might miss on your own. Paying attention to tyres is extremely important even if a slight detail is over looked, it can cause a huge damage and hinder your road safety. You can get tyre inspection and even buy tyres online in London on DAT Tyre’s website.

2. Check the damage by debris

Roads are places where you will find sharp objects, like broken glass and even barbed sticks. Not all of these things will embed themselves in your tyre, but some will. Over time, nails, screws and other pointy material can wedge into your tyres. If they work their way in fully, then you could suffer a blowout, so look for any such items regularly.

3. Look for cracks

When cracks appear on the side of your tyres it is a sign they are getting old. Cracking can appear on the outer wall tyre as well as the inside, so make sure you look underneath the car and use a torch to help you, if necessary. For replacing damaged tyres and getting other car services, you can check your local garage or tyre dealership.

4. Bulges

When the rubber compound in a tyre is not perfect it will tend to bulge outwards. Although your car may run perfectly normally even with a bulge or two, it could be a sign that a puncture is imminent and you don’t want that on a high-speed stretch of road with children in the back!

5. Over inflation

Tyres which have too much pressure in them will bow out a little meaning that they don’t make full contact with the road. This means your get less grip and the ability to brake takes much longer than you might otherwise account for. In the worst cases, they might burst under pressure with potentially lethal results.

6. Under inflation

Flat tyres might not be completely impossible to drive on. However, just one tyre that is under-inflated is all that it takes for your car to pull unnecessarily in one direction or the other. If you brake hard, the problem usually gets worse. Flat tyres should be pumped up or exchanged if the problem persists or your family is in real danger.

7. Avoid bald tyres

Tyres with insufficient tread depth are not just dangerous but illegal. Remember to look at all of your tyres to see if there are bald patches. Don't just look at the parts of them that are exposed when you have parked. Roll forwards a few centimeters to be able to inspect the entire tyre circumference.

Tyre safety is vital and it is worth remember how condition of tyres can affect driving and risk of accidents. Keep your family safe and check your tyres today!