Common Tire Problems and How to Spot Them

Tire issues are the cause of over 15,000 accidents in the UK every year. Although tire safety may seem like an insignificant problem, unsafe tires can actually cause a lot of damage. And although these issues are fixed easily, a large part of the reason why they aren’t fixed is because many people still remain clueless as of how to spot tire problems. As a result, they neglect checking their tires and instead ignore the problem.

Firstly, it is important to note that tire problems can affect all tire types and so anyone who owns a vehicle will need to practice tire safety. There are many factors which can cause common tire problems including tire wear on the edges which is called underinflation.

If you have taken note wear on the inside of the tire, make sure to check the outside of it too. Underinflated tires tend to skew the tread away from the road in the center, which results in the edges becoming worn. Indeed, around 36% of UK driver actually have dangerously under-inflated tires which is primarily because they are too lazy to check them, and they also do not know how to carry out a check.

It is also wise to see if your tires have a slow puncture which could be causing them too not be fully inflated. This can be recognized quite easily if you are required to put air into them more than usual. This means there could be a leak present. If you suspect there is a leak in your tire, you can double check with a mechanic who will make sure there isn’t an object stuck in it or that there isn’t a leak allowing air to escape. You should also be aware that you should not over-inflate your tires either as this will have the opposite effect and will actually wear the tire in the middle instead of preventing a leak.

It is vital to spot a tire problem and rectify it before the problem escalates and causes even greater damage. The quickest and most effective way to check your tire tread is the 20p test. Take a 20p coin and insert it inside one of the main grooves of your tire. It might help if you turn the engine on and turn the steering wheel. If you’re checking the right tire, turn the wheel to the left. If you’re checking the left tire, turn the wheel to the right. Every 20p coin has a border around it. Once you’ve inserted the coin inside a groove, you will need to make certain that you can’t get a glimpse of the complete border of the coin. This means that the tread is deep enough, which is a positive sign. If the border on the coin can be seen, then it means that your tires are quite worn and may be below the legal limit. You will also need to check at least three different places on each tire. Subsequently, if your tires are worn down in any of the places that you check, you should take it to a garage to be looked at by a mechanic.

To conclude, although tires are a part of vehicles that are often overlooked, we must make certain that they are safe and legal for our vehicles on the road. This means we must spot a tire problem and solve the issue quickly instead of dismissing the issue as trivial. What may start off as a minor problem with your tire could result in something much worse. This is why it is important to carry out regular checks to make sure they are safe before going out on the road. Checking your tires is the most effective way to ensure that you are less likely to be involved in a dangerous road situation.