Owning a car creates a number of responsibilities, from ensuring you file your tax and insurance documents on time, to maintaining the condition of the vehicle and ensuring it receives regular services and MOT’s as necessary. While it can be a lot to remember and can also work out to be quite costly, it can sometimes be tempting to skip a couple of steps to save some cash.
One of these steps is often the quality of a car’s tires, in which drivers try to leave their tires for as long as possible before having to replace them. Buying wheels from high-quality brands such as Yokohama and Vogue can help lengthen the time between having to buy new sets. However, driving around with worn-out tyres is never a good idea. Here are 5 reasons why below.
1. The risk of hydroplaning increases
Anyone driving in the UK will be familiar with our inconsistent weather and regular rain that plagues the roads at the best of times. No one wants to get caught out in dangerous conditions on the road, and especially not when it’s pouring down with rain, and you realize your car can’t handle the roads.
As your tires wear down, the deep grooves that keep the water out of the tire become less effective, meaning you have less of a firm grip between your vehicle and the surface of the road. The shallower the grooves in your tyre, the more risk you have of hydroplaning, which ultimately increases your risk of getting into a serious accident.
2. Loss of air pressure
A tire that’s getting worn out is likely to lose more air pressure quickly than a normal tire. Not only does this make your tire dangerous, as you’re more likely to skid with a flat tire, but the tire will also wear out quicker, meaning you’ll have to fork out sooner to replace it.
Even though you can keep checking the air pressure on a regular basis, it’s good practice to ensure the tire is in good condition to avoid any necessary risks.
3. Legal violations
Believe it or not, there are actually legal requirements for the standards of your tires, in order to protect yourself and everyone around you. In most situations, the minimum requirement for a tire tread is 2/23 of an inch or a fingertip.
Checking your tire tread should become a regular habit, in which it is easy to purchase a keyring that can help you to measure your tire tread and be sure when they need to be upgraded. Alternatively, you can stop by your local garage and ask them to check the tires for you too.
4. Your tires could overheat
This one is especially relevant in the recent weather we are seeing, in which worn-out tires come into constant contact with the asphalt on the road. As a result, more heat builds up compared to tires that have a larger tread as air cannot as easily get into the spaces in the tire.
This means you are much more likely to experience a blowout while driving, which can potentially be very dangerous and even cause an accident if you’re driving at a speed on a fast road.
5. Risk of the tire bursting
Flat tires seem to happen in the most inconvenient of places, such as a long drive, where you can’t get a phone signal, or when you’re in a rush to get to work or get the kids to school. If you’re driving with a bald tire, debris from the road is more likely to damage the tire, in addition to the added friction against the road, meaning it’s only a matter of time before the tyre bursts.
Overall, driving with a worn-out tire is a bad idea that comes with many risks that make you more likely to become involved in an accident or have to pay out of pocket for hefty repairs. The best option is to maintain your tires throughout the year, and while this may feel like an extra expense, it will save you time and money in the long run.
