Keep the car tyres safe for winter driving in Basingstoke or other areas

It can be tricky driving around cities and towns, especially as winter approaches and conditions aren’t always good. Basingstoke especially can be tricky, after all it is well known for its roundabouts – for the people who live there they offer nothing but daily misery. Whether it’s inconsiderate drivers using the wrong lane or a tiresome wait in a long queue of traffic, the roundabouts of Basingstoke can make getting around a less than pleasant task.

With Summer behind us and the wet weather setting in, it’s vital to ensure that you have the right tyres for your car AND that you know how to care for them once you have them. Driving on bald tyres is not just unsafe, it’s an accident waiting to happen – especially if you like to drive fast or you frequently drive on wet, slippery roads – so it’s a good time to check your tyres.

Making sure your tyre tread is within the safe limits is vital, as treads provide the traction necessary to grip the road in inclement weather, such as rain, snow, ice or mud. Without them, cars would be virtually uncontrollable on wet, icy or slick roads. Checking the tread once a month, and investing in a tire tread gauge can make sure that your tyres are safe all winter long.

Checking tyre pressure is as important as checking tread depth, for if your tyres are the wrong pressure, then you will have compromised the handling, grip, and braking. As well as the significant safety issues, over or under-inflated tyres will cost you money through excessive fuel consumption and increased tyre wear.

If you are unsure if you have the correct tyres for your car, or if your existing ones are safe, you can find tyres for your vehicle in Basingstoke area in Point S new range. Now really is the best time to get this checked out, as the weather is only going to be getting worse from this point on,

Here are a few tips to making sure that your tyres are safe for winter driving:

• Make sure your tyres are cold before doing these tests, and your car is parked on level ground.
• Check each tyre for any damage eg- cuts, bulges and nails or screws.
• Look for uneven tyre wear, which could be a sign of a problem.
• Look at how much tread is left –  insert a 20p coin into the tread grooves. If the outer rim of the coin is covered by the tread your tyres are OK, but if the outer rim is visible they need replacing.
• Check the small blocks that are set every so often in the tread – if these are flush then the tyre needs replacing.
• Finish by checking each tyre’s pressure when ‘cold’ {having driven less than two miles.} You’ll need a gauge for this; you can buy one inexpensively, or use the air machines at garages.  The correct pressure should be in the cars handbooks – or you could google it!