It’s very important to check your tires often to discover potential signs of wear and tear. Not only for your own safety, but UK Law specifies a certain depth of tread on all tires.
The Law states that all tires on your vehicle must have a minimum of 1.6mm tread on them.
When your car takes a bit longer than usual to slow down while braking or even doesn’t grip the road properly, then it’s time to check your tires. When you do get them checked, it’s a good idea to get your tires observed by an expert from a garage. It can be difficult to spot any initial signs of deterioration as tires wear gradually, which is why it is a beneficial idea to get the tires checked by an expert.
Driving habits can cause your tires to wear. Aggressive driving can cause serious damage to your tire, with typical habits such as harsh braking or turning corners too fast.
However other factors apart from the normal use of the tire can affect its tread depth, such as emergency braking, inflating your tires with the wrong pressures, applying weight extra pressure to the vehicle or even incorrect alignment of the tires.
When wrong pressures are applied to the tires, they can begin to decline rapidly beyond the point of repair. Under inflation of the tires can cause both edges of the tire to wear out, whereas the center treads could be worn if the tires are over inflated. If there is any under inflation you should pump more air into the tire and check for air leaks. If you notice any over inflation then let air out according to the manufacturer’s specification. This can usually be found on the side of your door.
Poor alignment of the tires can also have a shattering effect too. The treads can wear unevenly creating cups, scallops or bald spots, which can cause your tires to be dangerous as well as illegal. A saw tooth like wear pattern can also be caused by poor alignment. You may hear strange types of noises from the tires such as whining, thumping or squealing. Again this is likely to be caused by poor alignment of the tires. In any of these situations it makes sense to have the wheels properly aligned. Car service may help to identify this problems well.
You may notice bulges, stones, nails or some other type of debris stuck between the treads. As mentioned before get your tires checked by an expert but we also recommend that you to walk around your car weekly checking for obvious signs of damage to the tires.