Car Tyre Safety Check

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Not attending to car tyre safety is a vital factor in many road accidents every year. You can have the best brakes and shocks but it won’t help if your tyres are worn or damaged. The idea behind braking is to have sufficient friction between the road surface and your tyres so your car can come to a complete stop. Poor car tyres maintenance will lead to worn treads which means your tyres will slide all over the road without stopping the car. This also affects handling and steering ability. Tyre damage is a real concern and can occur in several ways, not just age or mileage.

In fact, other factors include emergency braking, incorrect tyre inflation, wheel alignment, and poor road surface.   To ensure safety on the road, it is imperative that you perform a regular tyre check, at least every 2 weeks. You can also visit any of our Elite Garages for a FREE tyre check. Our expert technicians will do a thorough tyre inspection including tyre pressure, tread depth and visual damage check. Once they completed the tyre check, we will provide you with a detailed report indicating any concerns.

Why is a tyre check important?

Car Tyre

While safety is the most important element behind tyre maintenance, keeping your tyres in good condition can also save you money in terms of fuel efficiency. The three major areas you need to focus on during your routine tyre check include tyre pressure, tyre tread depth and visible damage inspection.

Under UK law, your tyre treads must be at least 1.6 mm deep around the tyre circumference and the central three quarters. Remember to check your tread depth in at least 3 different locations across the tyre to ensure there is no uneven wear.

Under- or over-inflated tyres are dangerous and could easily lead to tyre failure. Incorrect tyre pressure results in uneven contact with the road so tyres will wear excessively on the inside and outside edges.

Over-inflated tyres make less contact with the road which means less traction resulting in poor braking distances.   If you notice a nail or screw lodged in your tread during your visual tyre check, it’s probably best to leave it until you can get to a garage. Pulling it out could let air escape and you may end up with a flat tyre.   Visit any of our Elite branches if you suspect any tyre damage and we’ll take care of it while you wait.

The free tyre check can be carried out in approximately 5 minutes and includes a thorough visual inspection of tread depth and wear, tyre pressure and damage to the side walls.

FAQs Tyre Safety Checks

Click the + to read any answer or visit our most FAQ page to review the most frequently asked questions across all our Elite Locations.

If you click on a ‘Category’ or ‘Tag’ link, the page will ‘refresh’ and reload the page showing the top of the page first, you’ll then just need to scroll down to the FAQ section to see the results for the Category or Tag you selected.

Categories: Caterham, MOT, Newport, Portsmouth

Yes, you certainly can and it’s often something we recommend. In fact, around 95% of the time our customers get a premium or standard service with their MOT. Click these links to find  out what’s included in an MOT and what’s the difference between a Service and an MOT

Tags: Car Service, MOT
Categories: Newport, Portsmouth

Depending on the type of service, checks may include the engine oil, oil filter, lights, tyres, bodywork, exhausts, brakes, steering, fluid and coolant levels, suspension and 12V battery. We will always explain this in detail, providing a list of what’s included and what’s not.

Categories: Brakes, Portsmouth

Manufacturers have different recommendations but the general consensus is to replace your brakes when only 20% of the original thickness remains. Brake pads can last between 25,000 and 60,000 miles while brake discs anywhere from 80,000 to 120,000 miles. Remember, your driving habits can also impact the brake replacement intervals.

Categories: Brakes, Portsmouth

The price of brakes varies greatly as it depends on the vehicle and brake specification. At Elite Garages, new brakes cost anywhere FROM £80 but please note prices may be subject to change without prior notice.

Categories: Portsmouth, Tyre Advice, Tyres

Rapids are also budget tyres but they are more high-end and rated as premium economy.  Whilst they provide more grip than standard budget tyres, Rapids don’t perform as well as a good quality mid-range or premium tyre. However, Rapid tyres do offer a great in-between offering quality and value for money.

No, as part-worn tyres are not safe and there is no guarantee they won’t fail.