Summer is the time of year when the UK mobilizes, flooding to the cool Welsh and Scottish mountains, heading for the many beaches, nature reserves and parks on our holidays. School is out, your out-of-office message is activated and you have two weeks to do nothing but relax and enjoy yourself visiting different localities in the UK to meet relatives living in Buckinghamshire or even London.If your tyres will let you, that is!
Here are some tips on how to look after your car tyres in summer to make sure your holiday plans are not quashed by unforeseen blow-outs or punctures.
Give Them a Wash
Give your whole car a wash by hand every now and then. Not only will this save you a little money, it can be great fun (especially if you get the children involved – minding out for other traffic, of course) and it will help you to get a better idea of what condition your tyres are in. In this way, you will be able to quickly pick up on the early signs of damage or rubber deterioration that older tyres can display and take steps to mitigate the damage so your tyres last a little while longer – long enough for those leisurely beach trips, at least!
Check Tyre Inflation
The latest tyres are designed to work best within the recommended range of inflation. However, hot temperatures – and this is especially relevant with the heatwaves that are becoming more common in the UK – can have an effect on your tyres too, with fluctuations in the inflation levels highly likely to occur. Check your inflation regularly, and make a point of doing so after experiencing extremes of temperatures while out and about. If you can keep your car in a covered garage, then this is less likely to be a problem, but being parked in a hot, uncovered car park for hours will not do your tyre inflation any good – and still less while driving, when the natural friction heat from the road can exacerbate the problem.
Avoid Rough Roads
No matter what time of year it is, you should always avoid rough or unpaved roads as much as you can. Once your tyres have sustained damage there is no hope for their recovery, they will almost certainly need to be replaced sooner rather than later. Driving on such roads when your tyres are hot, and therefore rather softer than they should be, can only wear your tyres even more. If you have been a bit cavalier with your tyres and need replacements, it is best to bite the bullet and make the investment before your summer driving holiday starts! For booking your tyre fitting in Buckinghamshire, you can talk to the team at Broadway Autocentres.
Keep an Eye on Your Treads
While you probably already know about ensuring that your tyres have sufficient tread dept for safe driving during the sudden summer downpours that the UK specializes in, you may not know that there is another reason to keep an eye on your treads. Because they are applied to the main body of the tyre during the manufacturing process, they can have – invisible and usually unnoticed – seams where the treads sit on top of the ‘naked’ tyre. These seams, especially on budget tyres, can sometimes split in hot temperatures, leaving a long unsightly ‘peel’ of tread lying in the roadway, and also leaving your tyre in terrible condition and unsafe to drive.
Take Off the Winter Tyres
Finally, make sure you take off your winter tyres the moment the temperatures go above 7°C. Leaving soft winter tyres in place during warm and hot weather can cause the cold-weather tyres to wear away almost as though they are melting – an expensive prospect that you will definitely not want to try out. They are also not especially safe to drive on under dry and hot conditions, so popping your sturdy summer tyres on will keep you much safer on the UK’s roads.