The four small footprints of your car’s tyres are the only points of contact it has with the road, making their condition a critical factor in road safety. Ignoring the state of your tyres can have serious consequences. In this article, you can learn more about how worn tyres can endanger your life and what you can do to prevent such dangers. 1
What Does The Law Say About Tyre Tread?
Regulation 212 of the National Road Traffic Act states that tyre tread must be at least 1 mm deep. Some tyres have wear indicators as part of the tread pattern, showing you when the tyre tread depth is less than 1.6 mm. If these indicators are level with the tyre tread, then it’s time to replace your tyres as they may be un-roadworthy.1
What Are The Implications if The Tyre Tread Depth is Illegal?
As a law abiding South African motorist, you can receive a fine. What’s more alarming is that insurers can and may reject an accident claim if your tyres not legally roadworthy. 1
Whose Responsibility is it to Ensure That Tyres Remain Roadworthy?
The onus is on the vehicle’s owner to maintain tyre roadworthiness by regularly monitoring each tyre’s tread across the full tyre surface. 1
Why Are Worn Tyres Dangerous?
Tyres with little tread can quickly lose their grip on the road. For instance, poor tread can lengthen the required stopping distance of a car. It can also cause a car to lose control when tyres start hydroplaning on wet road surfaces. A tyre bursting on the freeway can cause a car to roll, with serious consequences. 1
Do You Check Tyre Pressures Regularly?
Check your tyre pressures every week if possible. When at the filling station, measure each tyre pressure before adding air. By doing this, you may discover a slow or fast leak. If unsure of what tyre pressures to use, check the inside of the driver’s door or the owner’s manual. 1
What Are The Effects of Under-inflated Tyres?
Under-inflated tyres have a bigger rolling resistance, which means your engine has to work harder and thus use more fuel. Such tyres can also overheat because of increased friction, which, in turn, can cause premature wear, and eventually a blow-out. 1
What Dangers do Over-inflated Tyres Have?
Over-inflated tyres are structurally much harder, making them more at risk of getting damaged by sharp objects. The smaller area of each tyre’s footprint on the road surface reduces grip and so road handling is worse. 1
Monitor Wheel Alignment and Wheel Balancing
Wheel alignment involves correcting wheel angles according to manufacturer’s specifications. Correct wheel alignment minimises tyre wear, and allows the car to travel straight instead of pulling to one side. Tyres on wheels that are out of alignment wear out unevenly and quickly. 1
Regularly Inspect Condition of Tyres
Once a week carefully check each tyre for cuts, bulges, pothole damage, or sharp objects. Check each tyre’s condition before you start a journey, looking for any cracks in the sidewalls. Remember, if any sharp object, such as a thorn, has penetrated a tyre sidewall, you may have to replace the tyre. This is because the damage may have compromised the tyre’s structural integrity. 1
Disclaimer
This article’s purpose is to show you how to be safe while you drive by looking after your car’s tyres.1
Prevention is better than cure, so the saying goes. Why let tyres deteriorate so much that you endanger your life and those of others? Similarly, why drive without cover until one day you have an accident? PMD provides affordable car insurance products for your benefit. We would love to share our world-class client service by showing you our product’s unique benefits, such as fixed premiums* and a reduce-to-zero excess*. T’s and C’s apply.
When buying financial services products, first contact a certified financial advisor for professional advice to avoid making mistakes.
Source:
1https://aa.co.za/tyres-are-critical-safety-features-check-them-properly-and-regularly-2/
This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own. The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.
