Be good to your tyres

A blowout is the worst symptom of a badly worn tyre. And the reason for a blowout will in most cases come down to poor tyre maintenance.

Proper tyre maintenance takes a bit of effort and is not as simple as you may have been led to believe such as checking your tread depth. This check is important but is just one aspect of keeping your tyres healthy and your car on the road.

Poor road conditions and debris can often to lead to chucks being taken clean out of the rubber resulting in a weak spot or bubble. You can’t clean up the roads of Ireland but a reduction in your driving speed can reduce the heat build up in the tyre which causes the rubber to soften and increase your chances of damage.

Not so hard

Hard accelerating and braking will do substantial damage to your tyres and manifests itself in a flat or bald spot. This can lead to a loss of traction and again increases the probability of a blowout

A regular service of your tyres can check for balance, inflation and wheel alignment issues that all contribute to above average wear and tear. These checks are inexpensive and can be done by a decent mechanic for as little as a tenner, which is significantly better than replacement which can tap you for as much as €100, a wheel.

Finally, the best thing you can do to prolong the life of your tyres is to rotate them. Because tyres on the front of your car where it is heaviest will wear out quicker, rotation spreads out this across the rear and will lengthen their lifespan. Before you do this however you should mark your tyres and only rotate them from to rear and not left to right.