How To Check Tyre Pressure
19th January 2021For Tyre Safety Month TyreSafe asked if you?re having a good or bad ?air day? to encourage motorists to check their tyre pressure. A study conducted by the organisation revealed that as many as 57% of motorists in Britain are driving on tyres below their recommended tyre pressure!
So, why should you check your tyre pressure?
The Dangers of Under Inflated Tyres
Tyres that are under inflated can be dangerous on the road as they do not provide the same gripping, handling and braking capabilities as correctly inflated tyres. Tyres are designed to efficiently run on a level of pressure specified by the vehicle manufacturer and when this is decreased they cannot optimally maintain contact with the surface of the road. This therefore affects your safety when driving ? proving how important it is to check your tyre pressure.
As well as affecting your driving performance, under inflated tyres can be more susceptible to damage and will wear more rapidly and unevenly, which means that they may have to be replaced more often. In addition, when your tyres are not performing to specification, your engine has to work harder to keep them moving and this uses excess fuel. So much fuel, in fact, TyreSafe estimates that as much as £600 million is wasted every year by British motorists driving on under inflated tyres.
What is my Recommended Tyre Pressure?
To ensure that your tyres are correctly inflated, first you will need to know the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended tyre pressure. These can be found in your vehicle handbook, printed on the inside ledge of either the driver’s or passenger’s door or inside the petrol cap.
This correct tyre pressure figure will be given in bar and/or PSI which means pound for square inch and measures units of pressure.
Bear in mind, if you are driving with an increased load your recommended tyre pressure will be different. This information is also provided in the vehicle manufacturer handbook.
How to Check Tyre Pressure
Once you know what your tyre pressures should be, you can check your tyre pressures easily at a petrol station with an air gauge facility which are usually free or cost a small amount - usually around £1.
When your tyres are cold, remove the dust cap from your valve and affix the tyre pressure gauge which will display your tyre pressure reading. If the number displayed is lower than the specified pressure you will need to inflate your tyres until they reach this number. If they are over inflated, allow some air to escape before checking again. You should then re-fit the dust cap and repeat the exercise on your other tyres.
Visit The Tyre Group for a FREE Tyre Check
To stay safe on the road, The Tyre Group would recommend checking your tyre pressure every three weeks and before you set off on any long journeys. That?s why, here at The Tyre Group, we offer a free tyre check. Visit your local Tyre Group branch for your free Tyre Check where our specialists will be able to check your tyre pressure for you.
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