Take time for your car tyres. You might remember that I recently wrote about the best summer road trips and any successful road trip requires a vehicle safe and fit for the trip.

It’s easy to take your tyres for granted however as the only parts of your car that actually come into contact with the road, your tyres are without a doubt essential pieces of kit. Neglecting your tyres can potentially ruin a road trip, cost you more money in the long-term, as well as being incredibly unsafe.

We’re Cornwall bound in a few weeks which is 300 miles each way with two weeks of day trips in the middle. Our family car is a Toyota RAV4, it’s two years old and only recently had a full service so I know my wheels are good to go, however the tyres will almost certainly need replacing before the end of the year. If you have no clue whether your tyres are fit for your next trip take the time to see a mechanic or car tyre specialist for advice or visit TyrePlus or follow #TyreKnowledge for great information about tyre and driving safety.

Here’s the most common tyre issues to look out for:

  • Sufficient tread depth – Although the minimum tread depth by law is 1.6mm, many safety experts recommend changing when the tread gets below 3mm.
  • Incorrectly inflated tyres – Under or over-inflated tyres can be dangerous and expensive as incorrectly inflated tyres reduces their  life expectancy.
  • Impact damage – We’ve all clipped a curb or a bollard and bumped our tyres on the concrete. Unfortunately impact like this can ultimately make them unsafe.
  • Overloaded tyres – It is easy to forget when packing the car up that all that extra weight is putting more pressure on your car’s tyres. Overloading tyres could end up with an unexpected blow out, check the correct load index and stick to it.

If, like me, you’re gearing up for a road trip, it always pays to spend a little time checking your car over. To give you a head start, take a look at this road trip checklist:

  • Ensure your tyres are correctly inflated (and if your vehicle’s packed with people and luggage, check your handbook for the fully laden pressure).
  • Test your tyres’ tread depth (if it’s getting close to the legal minimum, now’s the time to get replacements).
  • Check your car’s oil and coolant levels, and top up if necessary.
  • Ensure your windscreen washer fluid levels are topped up and your windscreen wipers are working properly.
  • If you have a spare wheel, ensure that it’s in place and in good condition.
  • Make sure all of your indicators and lights are working (it’s quicker and easier if you get someone to help with this).

I hope this post encourages you to think about taking a few extra steps to take before you head out on the great open road and helped to make your next road trip safe and event free. Where are you heading? Will I see you in Cornwall?