Check your tyres before travelling this Christmas

With winter upon us, car and tyre checks are more important than ever to ensure a safe and comfortable drive. In the days leading up to Christmas, many of the UK’s roads will be incredibly busy with families hitting the road for the holidays and it’s best to avoid any complications on the journeys to festive celebrations.

So, if you’re getting behind the wheel during the Christmas period, here are some quick tips which can help to keep you safe and stress-free.

1. Tyres and temperature

During the colder months, the temperature change can cause your tyre pressures to decrease, similar to how it would increase in the summer heat.

Tyre pressure can change by up to 2 PSI when there is a change in temperature of 10°C. This is a common problem for many road users and the best way to stay on top of this issue is to regularly check tyre pressure during significant temperature changes, especially as we start to transition into the colder months.

1. Check for damage and unusual wear and tear

As mentioned above, the temperature change can impact your tyre’s performance and cause it to be more prone to wear and tear.

Check your tyres regularly for visible perforation, cuts, or deformation, which can render the tyre unsafe for use.

Any damage found will need to be checked over by a tyre professional for safety.

2. Make sure there is enough tread

Winter driving means icy or even snowy roads, so it’s important to check your tyres’ tread, particularly in the colder months.Having above 1.5mm of tread ensures your tyre’s grip, and keeps you in control of your vehicle’s handling, and – ultimately – driver safety.

While we recommend a tread depth gauge for accuracy another method is to use the 20p test which is a quick and easy way of checking the tyre tread of your car’s tyres. Just take a 20p coin and insert it into the tread grooves on the tyre. If you can’t see the outer band on the coin, your tyres are above the legal limit.

3. Watch out for the extra load on your tyres

With Christmas on its way, your car may be carrying more load than usual. With shopping, gifts and all the family on board for road trips, your tyres will be working harder than usual and must be able to support the total weight of the vehicle avoiding deformations, and potentially damaging your vehicle. If you do need to carry a heavier load than normal, be sure to adjust your tyre pressures accordingly, all information for this can be found in the car’s handbook, or within the passenger door well. We recommend owning a reliable air compressor for emergencies, otherwise, most petrol stations will let you fill up your tyres for a small cost.

Other top tips for winter driving:

• Keep your phone fully charged and carry an in-car charger.
• Fit winter tyres, or if you don’t, have your tyres checked before winter descends to ensure they are fit for purpose.
• Check your battery – in cold weather batteries are under extra pressure and are more likely to fail.
• Keep your windscreen washer fluid topped up as your windscreen will get dirtier in the winter, it will also help to use winter washer fluid, which has additives to clear your windscreen of ice and keep it from building up.
• Check your coolant – antifreeze protects your engine against low temperatures.
• When driving in ice or snow adapt your driving style to the conditions and slow down. Use higher gears and operate the clutch, throttle, brakes and steering gently to avoid losing control.
• If conditions are bad, you should consider whether your journey is necessary and if in doubt avoid travelling.

For more information on tyre checks click here.