When should tyre pressure be checked?

Ensuring your tyre pressure is set to the correct recommendation is important for tyre health, and your on-road safety. However, more often than not, checking your tyre pressure often gets overlooked in between MOT checks. Running on underinflated tyres uses more fuel - and makes the tyres wear down faster. Find out when's the best time to check tyre pressure for your vehicle today.

How often should you check tyre pressure?

It's recommended to check your tyre pressure at least once a month. However, if you have a long journey ahead of you, it's always wise to examine your tyre pressure before you go. Modern vehicles have tyre pressure sensors installed, so warning lights may appear on the dashboard to tell you when your tyre pressure is too low. However, it's important to check your tyre pressure frequently to ensure you're not putting your tyres, or yourself, in danger.

When is the best time to check tyre pressure?

Although it's recommended to check your tyre pressure monthly, there is a recommended ideal time of when to inspect your tyres - and this is when tyres are cold. It's advised to check your tyres before the car has been driven, or after the car has not been driven for at least 3 hours.

This is because when the tyre is cold it's at its smallest - meaning it will show you more accurately how much you need to inflate your tyres, and provides a more consistent measurement. As air expands at a constant rate, when the tyres are hot (e.g. when you’ve been driving on the motorway, or even locally for an hour), they will be at their largest - and the reading will be inaccurate. Driving a smaller distance to the petrol station will mean the tyres are significantly cooler than having driven on them for a longer period of time.

What pressure should my car tyres be?

Every vehicle's recommended tyre pressure will differ from one another - from brand to model. If you're unsure what pressure your tyres should be, you are likely to find the recommendations on the inside of the driver's side of the door. Alternatively, it will likely be in your vehicle handbook.

It's also worth noting that usually, the front tyres pressure recommendations will be different from the recommendations for the rear tyres of your vehicle. For more guidance, read our helpful guide on tyre pressure.

Visit The Tyre Group for a FREE Tyre Check

Here at The Tyre Group, we are big on tyre safety. What's more, we offer a free tyre examination where our specialists can check your tyre pressure for you. Simply visit your local Tyre Group branch or contact our friendly team today.