It is recommended that you check your tyres regularly and as often as once a month to ensure they are in a good road worthy condition. Tyres are the only thing that keeps your vehicle in contact with the road surface and it is essential that you do not endanger yourself, your passengers and other road users by having unsuitable tyres on the road. It has been estimated that 13% of the vehicles on the UK’s roads have illegal tyres so it is essential to keep an eye on yours not only to ensure safe driving but to ensure you don’t receive fines from the police or even points on your licence.

It is also imperative to check your tyres to validate your insurance; most insurers stipulate that you are not insured when driving on illegal tyres. This is because worn tyres hinder the performance of your car as a worn tyre reduces the speed of braking, prevents smooth steering, and gives slower acceleration.

There is a basic five point tyre check :

• Check overall condition of tyres, including inner and outer sidewalls.
• Check tyre tread depth.
• Check all tyre pressures.
• Check signs of irregular wear, i.e. alignment.
• Check and examine the spare tyre.

It is important too to keep an eye on your tyre pressure as a tyre can be under inflated without looking flat. Refer to your Vehicle Manual to find out the optimum pressure for your tyres. Remember that tyre pressures should only be checked when your tyres are cold; try to leave them for an hour to cool down before checking. Driving on under or over inflated tyres will impede your vehicles handling often making the vehicle unstable, it can also increase tyre wear leading to further cost in the long run.

Your tread depth is also important The legal limit for car tread depth is 1.6mm and the deeper the tread the more grip you have. It is not safe to ignore the minimum tyre tread depth. It is illegal. For each illegal tyre you face a fine of up to £2,500, and may receive three penalty points.

Make sure your spare tyre is in good working order, even if you never use your spare it is vital that you check it is in good condition. Check the pressure, and the tyre treads periodically. It is better to discover any problems at home than late at night on a deserted road.