why checking tyre pressures is so important

Tyre pressures are commonly the most overlooked aspect of vehicle maintenance. For what can be a quick and easy check, it has a detrimental effect on the wear of your tyres, the fuel economy and performance of your vehicle, not to mention the impact to your bank account!

Why is it so important?

Tyre Wear - Underinflated or over inflated tyres can lead to unnecessary wear on your tyres. Overinflation would cause your tyre to wear more in the middle, and underinflated tyres will wear on the outside shoulders. Every vehicle has a manufacturers recommended pressure for the sizes of tyre fitted to any specific vehicle, taking the tyre size and vehicle weight into account to ensure the most contact area with the road whilst maintaining fuel efficiency and vehicle performance. A simple check of pressures would ensure that your vehicle is always performing at optimum efficiency and that you are getting the most out of the wear of your tyres. Most service stations have a pump for the use of the public, or you can buy small electric compressor which runs off your vehicles electrical supply.

Fuel Economy - Underinflated tyres cause more drag, resulting your vehicles engine to have to work harder to keep you moving which in turn burns more fuel. Not only will this mean you wear out your tyres quicker, leading to you paying for new tyres sooner than you have to but you will be visiting the fuel pumps more often. Underinflated tyres can reduce your fuel economy by up to 10%!

Performance - Underinflated or overinflated tyres can have a massive impact on your vehicles grip, which would effect your cornering and braking ability. Especially in the wet, tyres that are overinflated won't have sufficient grip, and underinflated tyres would be very unstable in the corners. This could make your vehicle very dangerous on the road and could lead to an accident.

So for what is a very quick and easy check, you could reduce your risk to other road users and save yourself a lot of money in the long run. Do yourself and your wallet a favour and check your tyre pressures regularly!

For tips on how and why, check out our blog here on how often your tyre pressures should be checked.

If you have any concerns or need any help with your tyres, be sure to contact us. We will always be happy to help!