Aussies not going the extra mile for tyre safety

Did you know that 1 in 3 Aussies think they've driven on unsafe tyres?

According to the Australian Road Safety Foundation, Australian motorists underestimate how crucial tyres are to their vehicle’s safety.

It was discovered that almost half of Aussie drivers hold off from buying new tyres for as long as possible, and 23% of the 1600 motorists questioned opt for the cheapest tyre. While consumers may feel that's cost-effective, buying the right tyres at the right time can contribute not only to safe handling and braking, but also to the comfort and overall running costs of a car.

Tyres are the only point of contact between the vehicle and the road which makes them critical to the safety and performance of a car. Despite this, 1 in 3 Aussies have driven their vehicle with what they believe could have been unroadworthy tyres.

The legal requirement for tyre depth is 1.6mm - anything below that is deemed unroadworthy. The major signs you need to replace your tyres include poor road grip when braking or cornering and excessive vibration.

To ensure that you're getting the most out of your tyres, the following checklist should be followed every two weeks:

• Tread Depth
  • All tyres have tread wear indicators (TWIs) - small blocks of rubber within the tread at certain points around the tyre. As the tyre wears, these blocks get closer and eventually become flush with the surface of the tyre.
  • Once that happens, the tyre is officially unroadworthy because by this time only 1.5mm of tread is left. The recommendation is that the tyre should be replaced once tread depth is down to around 2mm.
• Uneven Wear
  • Uneven wear can be a sign of the car’s wheel alignment being out of adjustment, worn suspension, or under/over-inflated tyres.
  • To check for uneven wear, inspect the whole contact surface, including the inner and outer edges, of the tyre. Front-wheel drive cars normally show a greater degree of wear on the front tyres, so particular notice should be taken of the relative wear front to rear.
  • To check for uneven wear, inspect the whole contact surface, including the inner and outer edges, of the tyre. Front-wheel drive cars normally show a greater degree of wear on the front tyres, so particular notice should be taken of the relative wear front to rear.
• Old Age
  • Generally, a tyre that has been fitted onto the vehicle for more than five years will need replacement. Even if the kilometres travelled are low, or the tyre isn’t even being used, it will deteriorate as the rubber loses its suppleness through the drying out of moisture and oils. This applies to all tyres on the vehicle – including the spare.
  • It’s also worth noting that tyres deteriorate more quickly in hot climates.

If you're still unsure if it is worth checking your tyres, check out the video below:

If you’ve checked your tyres and they need replacing, click here to search for tyres by rego or tyre. Or call us on 1300 897 372.