One action to take to help prevent auto accidents is to make sure your tyres are in a fit condition. Checking tread depths on a regular basis is a given. Here are two more key areas to frequently check…
+ Ensuring the correct tyre pressure
Know what your manufacturer recommended pressures are. Under inflating can limit your car’s performance. This is a common fault simply because tyres might not be checked often enough. Low pressure can result in the wheel rim forcing the tyre sideways as you take corners. Also, extra stress can be felt on the sidewalls and fuel consumption might be higher than it needs to be. A sign of under-inflation, over time, is in wear on the outer edges of the tread.
A further danger is that people over-inflate tyres because they feel that the pressure will reduce over time. This can overwear centre tread in the tyre and affect secure handling of your vehicle. You should also find guidelines in your manufacturer’s handbook (or you should be able to check them online) for temporarily increasing pressures if your vehicle is going to be particularly heavily laden.
Tyre pressures should be checked when they are cold (or as close as we get to that in an Australian summer) – in other words, before they heat up during a journey. It takes only a short distance for tyres to warm-up, thus increasing the pressure.
+ Checking for tyre damage
Such events can go unnoticed or unfelt when driving but cause serious damage and accidents. Check for nails lodged in the tread, as these can temporarily plug the hole they have made. Older tyres can also have less resistance to the sun’s ultraviolet rays; this can cause the rubber to crack and a dangerous blowout to ensue.
Not your fault accidents still happen
Even with tyres in excellent condition, you can still fall victim to the carelessness or worse of other drivers. If you have an accident where you are the innocent party, and your car will need to spend time in the repair shop, then call and speak to our experienced Not My Fault team. In such circumstances, Australian Law dictates that you are entitled to an accident replacement car. So, keep our number with you in case such an unfortunate situation occurs – it’s 1800699034.
