Tyre Care Tips While Driving During Summer
The thought of long lazy drives on warm summer days gives the impression that the motoring part of it all should be easier than usual: no snow or ice on the roads, everyone relaxed and calm, with their windows down to enjoy the breeze, and nothing more on their mind than getting an ice cream from the first vendor they see after parking the car. But this lovely image is often not the truth: here are some tyre care tips for you to be aware of while driving during the summer.
Overload Issues
The first problem that can occur is when you pile the whole family, all their luggage and even the family dog into the car – there is a risk that you can overload your tyres. The maximum weight that each tyre can hold is marked on the tyre as part of the long tyre code which also shows the week and year of manufacture, width, sidewall height, and maximum speed at which the tyre should be used, so it is easy enough to find out. The maximum speed and maximum weight codes are not easily worked out, but they are easily found online, and you will quickly be able to ascertain whether you are putting your tyres under too much weight or not. If you are searching for a reliable garage for buying tyres in Knottingley, you can order online at Reg Greenwood, and set off with peace of mind knowing that your tyres can survive all the excess weight your teens insist on bringing with them.
Too Hot For You? And Your Tyres too!
British summers seem to be getting hotter and hotter, with every year seeming to break temperature records from the year before, and this can cause problems for you and your tyres. It is already widely known that the inside of a parked car can shoot up to shockingly high temperatures, but even driving along the road with the ventilation inlets wide open can leave you exposed to more heat that your body is comfortable with. Drink plenty of water and if you feel sick or dizzy, pull over and try to cool yourself down before continuing with your journey. And you might not be the only one suffering in the heat: your tyres were designed for lower temperatures and they can begin to soften and melt in the extremes of heat the UK has started to experience.
Under Pressure
Excess heat can also make your tyres lose their carefully set pressure, becoming loose and giving your drive a ‘sloppy’ feel that is exactly as unsafe as it feels thanks to modern tyres being designed to work best within their optimum range of inflation.
Unfamiliar Roads
Unfamiliar roads offer more of a puncture risk to your tyres than those roads that are known and familiar to you, especially if you are heading off the beaten track to remote holiday cottages and camping sites. Be mindful when driving on roads that are unfamiliar to you, and keep an eye out for unexpectedly deep or sharp-edged potholes, rough surfaces and loose surface material which can be thrown up into the workings of the tyre and wheel, initiating a problem that might not manifest for some time.
Spare or Repair Kit
Finally, before you go, check your wheel well and make sure you have a spare tyre (correctly inflated and in good condition) or a repair kit with which you will be able to effect all but the most serious repairs by yourself.
