The area of England, just north of London, is a beautiful one that is a highly desirable place to live: Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire – where the lovely town of Stevenage is to be found – are all places that offer proximity to the bright lights of the big city of London, while still seeming to be the peaceful rural idylls of yesteryear peppered with thatched cottages, rose gardens that are older than many memorials, and leafy walks and fields to enjoy. If you are going to be visiting this part of the world any time soon, you will need to keep your car – and all its passengers – safe and sound on the roads: here’s five tyre care tips on how to keep your family safe on the road.
Take an Emergency Kit (Or Spare)
If you’re planning on a trip that will entail lots of driving, make sure your tyres are in great shape before you go, yes, but also check on your tyre replacement method. While spare tyres used to be standard, modern cars often come with a puncture repair kit instead. This is to help save on manufacturing costs, but it can work in your favour, allowing you to keep your existing, paired, tyres on your axles, which is better for reducing general wear and tear as you drive about. However, if you are having more and more punctures, it might be time to replace the tyres. If you are someone living in Hertfordshire and require a new set of tyres, you can find that car tyres in Stevenage are available at Ecotyre Services.
Watch Your Weight
It is easy to underestimate how much weight your tyres are carrying when you add the load a little at a time: this toolbox here; that bag of clothes for the charity shop; the bag of firewood for your friend’s barbecue – adding a couple of pounds here and there seems to be quite harmless. Until you add up all those pounds and realise that you’re carrying tens, if not hundreds, of unnecessary kilograms in your car. Every extra pound forces your car to work harder, straining the engine, chewing through your fuel, and putting your tyres under more pressure. Declutter the car, keeping only what you need for each trip and the difference will be noticeable, in the way your car handles as well as in your wallet.
Know Your Ratings
To help with the above, as well as knowing what speeds it is safe for you to travel at, learn what tyres ratings mean and how to find them. The ratings are to be found in the long alphanumeric code embossed onto your tyres, and once you have learned how to decipher them, they will tell you your speed and weight ratings for your tyres, the date of manufacture, whether the tyres are good for ice and snow, as well as the physical specifications of the tyres. With this information at your fingertips, you will be able to make good decisions about your tyres.
Rotate Your Tyres
Tyre rotation is a great way to make your tyres last longer, as well as keeping you and your family safe on the roads. The practice involves putting the tyres from the front of your vehicle to the back, and also swapping them from left to right and vice versa. This works to even out the wear patterns which would otherwise be more pronounced on the front and outside edges.
Drive Sensibly
Finally – and this one is just common sense – drive sensibly at all times. Not only will this take care of your tyres, but it will help the whole vehicle to last longer in great condition – and, of course, it will help you keep your family safe on the road, no matter what your reason for being out and about in beautiful Oxfordshire, Berkshire or even Stevenage in Hertfordshire.
