Top Ten Tyre Safety Tips

O TOP TEN TYRE O SAFETY TLLPS CHECK TYRE PRESSURE REGULARLY INSPECT TYRES FOR ABNORMAL WEAR OR DAMAGE Tires tend to lose air over time. Buy a digital tire gauge and check your tires once a month and before a long trip. Recommended pressures are printed on a label located on the driver's doorframe or in the glove box. Look for excessive or uneven tread wear, which may indicate improper inflation or steering and Suspension misalignment, cracks or bulges on the sidewalls or tread, signs of puncture, or nails, screws, glass, pieces of stone or any foreign object imbedded in the tire. DON'T FORGET YOUR SPARE MAINTAIN TYRES IN PROPER BALANCE Getting a flat tire and discovering that your spare is also flat is a miserable experience. Inspect your spare as yoU would your other tires. HOW ABOUT ME! Out-of-balance tires can not only cause uneven tread wear and an uncomfortable ride but also excessive wear on the suspension and other components. Uneven tire wear is usually a sign that your car is out of alignment. CHECK FOR TREAD DEPTH NEVER OVERLOAD A TYRE Check tread depth by placing the edge of a penny upside- down into the grooves of the tire's tread. If you can see all of Lincoln's head, it's time for a new set of tires. Overloading is the second leading cause of tire failure, next to underinflation. In most vehicles, the maximum passenger and cargo load for which the vehicle and tires are designed is printed on the same label that designates recommended tire pressures. BUY THE RIGHT TYRE FOR THE RIGHT JOB AVOID OVERHEATING TYRES If you live in the rust belt, consider a set of dedicated snow tires for the winter; they do wonders for safety. If you live where it's always warm and dry, "summer" performance tires can vastly improve your car's handling. High speeds, high loads, underinflation, coarse pavement or concrete, and aggressive driving, including high cornering loads and hard braking, all contribute to high tire temperatures. To maximize tire life and safety, therefore, it is important to minimize the simultaneous occurrence of such conditions. INSTALL MATCHED TYRES OR COMPLETE SETS REPLACE TYRES WHEN REQUIRED Installing different tires on the left and right sides can significantly upset the handling balance of a vehicle not to mention its ABS operation. For that reason, it is imperative that tires be installed in front or rear pairs, or complete sets. Tires are not cheap, but they are vital to the safety of you and your car's occupants. Remember, the tires are the only thing that connect your car to the road. TYREPITSTOP.COM.AU TYRE AND WHEEL SPECIALISTS Sources: http://cars.about.com/od/adviceforowners/a/tiretips.htm http://editorial.autos.msn.com/artide.aspx?cp-documentid=434704 http://www.michelinman.com/tires- 101/driving-and-safety-tips/safety-tips.page SPARE :)