5 Tyre Safety Tips Before Travelling
Ensuring your tyres are in good condition is always important. However, it’s particularly important if you are planning on going on a road trip. Travelling across Australia in a car often involves driving long distances between towns and exposing your tyres to a variety of terrains.
Ensuring your tyres are in good condition is always important. However, it’s particularly important if you are planning on going on a road trip. Travelling across Australia in a car often involves driving long distances between towns and exposing your tyres to a variety of terrains.
1. Inspect Tyres for Damage
Check for cuts, cracks, splits, bruises, punctures or other signs of damage, wear and tear . Keep in mind that minor damage or superficial cuts in the tyre wall can cause major problems later on, especially when embarking on a long road trip. You should remove any small rocks you find embedded in the tread as these can gradually dig into the tyre and pierce it.
You should also check for nail, glass or rocks that have pierced the tyre. While these might not cause an immediate risk, the damage can worsen with continued driving, especially when travelling long distances, and may result in a flat or blown tyre.
2. Check Tread Depth
Your tyre tread plays a crucial role in your car’s handling, helping you control your vehicle easier in a variety of conditions and stop as quickly as possible. Worn tyres can present a significant safety issue. Before you set off, ensure you check your tread (1.6mm of tread depth is the legal limit) with particular focus on front tyres in a front-drive car and the rears if the car is rear-wheel drive.
3. Check Tyre Pressure
Tyre pressure is also important as under-inflated tires flex more and build up heat, creating poor handling and potentially leading to failure, creating a safety risk. Under inflated tyres are also less fuel efficient and wear out faster. Check tyre pressure when your tyres are cold (usually 3 hours after you’ve parked). If you’re going on a long road trip, it’s a good idea to have a portable tyre pump with you.
4. Get Your Wheel Alignment Inspected
Before embarking on any long trip in a car, it’s a good idea to visit a car servicing centre and get your wheel alignment checked. Inaccurate wheel alignment causes faster, uneven wearing on tyres as well as noisiness, vibration and skidding while driving, causing potential safety issues.
5. Have a Plan
Consider how far you are travelling and where you are travelling and prepare accordingly. If something goes wrong, will you be able to rely on roadside assist? If not, it may be a good idea to know how to change a flat tyre yourself. Ensure your spare tyre is properly maintained. Ensure your car is in a good condition to do the trip you want it to do.
Need Your Tyres Checked or Replaced?
With locations all across Australia, Tyrepower can help you prepare for your next road trip by ensuring your car is in great condition. Whether you need new tyres, a wheel alignment or any other preventative maintenance for your vehicle, we can help!
We’re proud to offer great tyre deals from brands like Kumho tyres, Goodyear tyres, Continental tyres, Maxxis tyres, Hankook tyres, Michelin tyres, Pirelli tyres and Toyo tyres.
Find your closest tyre shop and call 13 21 91 today.
