We all use our cars on a daily basis yet often don't think about tyre care safety. Thankfully, my husband is much better at this than me and will always use a pressure gauge to check my cars tyres before I go on a long trip to visit my parents. Quite often they need inflating slightly and it also gives him a chance to check that the tread is ok as well as look for anything unusual like bulges.



If you are local to Thatcham then Headley Tyres is a family business that can help you with your cars tyres, with no appointment necessary.

But why is tyre pressure important?

Having under inflated tyres on your car actually makes it less fuel efficient. No one wants to pay any more for fuel than they already have to so this is a great tip. Ideally you should be checking your tyres on a  monthly basis.

Correctly inflated tyres are also safer. Under inflated tyres are more likely to have a blow out, and are more likely to cause problems if the weather conditions are poor.

Increased wear can be caused by both under inflated and over inflated tyres, so if you want your tyres to last a reasonable amount of time then it is important that you check that the pressure is correct.

If you want to check the pressure of your tyres, then it is important to do this when the tyres are cold. You will find the tyre pressures particular to your car in your vehicles manual or usually on a plate in the drivers door.

Why should I worry about the tread on my cars tyres?

Tread is an important safety feature. Good tread means a good amount of friction with the road which is even more important in wet weather. When it comes to looking at the tread on your tyre, it is important to be aware that the legal minimum tread depth for cars in the UK is 1.6mm. Headley Tyres in Thatcham have a handy guide on their website of how you can test this with a 20p coin.


It is perfectly normal for car tyres to lose pressure over time so if your car isn't fitted with an electronic warning device then checking them regularly is important and gives you the opportunity to measure the tread and look for any problems in the tyres are well.