As we enter the peak summer holiday period, the IAM is urging drivers to keep their tyres in check after 3,852 tyre-related incidents were reported on England’s motorways in the period April-June 2013.
As part of its Motorway Month campaign, the IAM is offering the following reminder to help motorists monitor their tyres: P – performance; A – air pressure; C – condition; T – tread depth.
Peter Rodger, IAM chief examiner, said: “Regular tyre checks are the best way to keep on top of maintenance and avoid those nasty surprises both to your vehicle and to your wallet.
“But one day you could become one of the thousands unlucky enough to experience a tyre-related breakdown, so having a dry-run of changing your tyre at home can prove very useful and will mean you needn’t rely so heavily on breakdown services getting you back on the road quicker."
Stuart Lovatt, from the Highways Agency, said: “Nobody wants to start their holiday off by having a breakdown that leads to them having to extend their journey time.
“By checking that tyres are still in good condition, drivers are helping to avoid incidents and the risk of delays, not only to their own journey but to those of other drivers.”
Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe, said: “Before setting off on their summer holidays, it’s essential that drivers give their tyres a thorough inspection.
“It’s particularly important to ensure tyres are correctly inflated in line with the vehicle manufacturer’s settings, which may be different if extra passengers or heavy luggage is being carried. But remember to readjust your tyre pressures when you start using your car normally again.”
Contact the IAM on 020 8996 9777 for more information.
Correct tyres and pressures are more vitally important on a two wheeled vehicle. Just read an article about track days and it recommended reducing tyre pressure by about 4lbs to take into account the higher heat generated by higher speeds and to leave the bike out in the sun to help heat up the tyres. What a load of nonsense. In racing they need 90deg tyre warmers on, and under no circumstances will the sun warm up all the tyre as much as that.
Taking this to normal roads can be dangerous. After a blast up the motorway or a few hours ride at speed (needs to be very high to get tyres up to temp) the rider will be where he wants to be and will have some lunch. Coming out an hour or so later he will get back out on his bike and throw it around with little thought that the tyres are flatter and cooler and the rubber won’t take the bends or the braking and acceleration. Maybe the cause of a lot of country road accidents.
Bob Craven Lancs
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According to the recent Which? report, many new cars only come with a puncture repair kit, not a spare wheel. Not much use after the tyre side wall has been damaged as you roll to a stop after a simple puncture. Bring back spare tyres as standard (unless you have run flat tyres of course).
Pat Wales
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