Make sure your tyres are safe this winter
Over the next few weeks, as the days get darker and the weather becomes wetter and colder, drivers all over the country will be inundated with warnings about preparing their vehicles for the winter months.
It is vital that these calls are heeded by all those who are likely to get behind the wheel, as this is the time of year where accidents on UK roads become more common.
There are certain steps you can take to achieve this, such as being more careful when driving, slowing down for corners and keeping a close eye out for other vehicles and pedestrians when the darkness descends.
While these are all associated with your own driving style, there are also changes you can make to your vehicle to help keep you safe on the treacherous roads.
Firstly you should check that your tyres don't have any bumps, blisters, tears or any other damage to the exterior, as this could potentially cause a blow-out while driving.
You should also check the tread depth of your tyre is at the correct level. The very minimum legal tread depth for a tyre is 1.6mm, but this is the point where it needs urgent care. Anything below this, and your car will be one of the 15 per cent of all vehicles on UK roads with at least one illegal tyre.
The fine for illegal tyres can be anything up to £10,000, and will add up to 12 points to your licence.
You should aim for a maximum 8mm depth on your tyre, with 5mm also being an acceptable condition - although this means your tyre is 47 per cent worn.
There is a good way to check your tread depth using a 20p coin. By placing it into the lowest tread depth of your tyres, you should then check to see if the outer rim of the coin is still visible. If it is, you should get your tyres checked as soon as possible.
In addition to helping you keep your grip when driving, good tread depth also assists in the reduction of the stopping distance of your vehicle.
Tread depth of 8mm means your car will stop after an average of 25.9 metres when driving at 50mph on a wet road. For a tyre with 3mm tread depth, this rises to 31.7 metres, while a tyre with 1.6mm tread will stop after an average of 39.5 metres.
Remember, the warnings are in place for a reason. Completing a thorough and regular check of your tyres through the winter could be the difference between staying safe and suffering a potentially preventable accident.
Posted by Sebastian Turkenburg