This week started out with a shock. Just as we were about to do the school run we discovered our car had a completely flat tyre. We couldn’t blow it up so we had to wait for someone to come out and replace it. We could have saved the hassle just by looking after our tyres properly.
Photo by Shane Rounce on Unsplash
How Long do Car Tyres Last?
The average life span of a tyre is three to five years, but this varies on how much mileage you do. If you travel 30,000 miles a year then you will probably need to have new tyres yearly. If you travel much less, maybe only on weekends they they will last five years or longer. If your tyres are more than five years old you run the risk of running your car on aged tyres.
When to Get New Tyres
You should regularly perform these checks on your tyres, and if you notice any problems when checking then it’s time to consider getting new tyres.
- Pressure -check your tyre pressure monthly and before long trips
- Tyre tread depths – these should also be checked monthly with a gauge
- Sidewall damage – you should also check the rest of the tyre for damage or irregular wear
- check for punctures if your tyre seems to be deflated
If you don’t know how to do any of these checks then take them to get advice from a trained tyre expert.
Why You Should Look After Your Tyres
This is obvious, it’s dangerous not to!
Worn tyre threads compromises the cars grip on the road, this can be much worse in wet weather. Without this grip you could be prone to skidding and accidents.
Worn tyres are also likely to overheat which can cause a blowout. Again a dangerous accident risk.
Under-inflated tyres also compromises the grip on the road, another accident risk.
Over inflating tyres can cause them to wear out prematurely.
Not only is it dangerous to have neglected tyres it’s also more expensive. Good tyres will reduce your fuel consumption.
Buying New Tyres
You can get tyres online from Point S. Tyres can be fitted at garages convenient to you. But what do you need to know before buying tyres?
- Size – your car tyre size is printed on the sidewall of the tyre
- Tyre speed rating – also on the sidewall of the tyre
- Tyre labels – give you the cars fuel economy, wet grip and noise
All car tyre size is standardised so it’s the same for all tyres.
An example is a tyre carrying the size lettering: 205/55 R16 91W.
205: the tyre’s width, in mm
55: the tyre’s side profile, as a percentage of the width (a smaller number here indicates a ‘low profile’ tyre)
R16: the diameter of wheel the tyre will fit, in inches
91: the tyre’s load index – the load capacity of the tyre (91 = 615kg)
W: the speed rating of the tyre – so you can match the ability of the tyre to the top speed of the car (W = 168mph)
Do you know how old your tyres are? When did you last check them?
Photo by David Edelstein on Unsplash
collaborative post
Hi Anne, tyre maintenance and ‘health’ is an important part of car safety that is easy to overlook. If it weren’t for the husband I would be clueless, although I have had to change a tyre twice over the years which would have been worth videoing for those days when you need a laugh. We are having two new tyres put on the front of the car next week for our trip to the mainland. Luckily we have our car serviced regularly, so it’s something we’ve been able to budget for without that nasty surprise feeling…. Hope your new tyre isn’t a budget buster!
xx
mmm yes, I do remember changing a tyre myself once, my brother showed me how to do it..eek your hands get really dirty, lol. Thankfully our car is a leased car so things like tyres are covered and we don’t have to pay. xx