Motorists are being encouraged to increase the frequency of their tyre pressure checks in a bid to identify and prevent potentially dangerous tyre failures resulting from pothole-damaged wheel rims.
The advice has been issued by TyreSafe following feedback from its tyre retail members that there has been a significant increase in the number of customers who believe that one of their tyres has a slow puncture. However, upon subsequent investigation, many instances of pressure loss are found to be as a result of air escaping from cracked wheel rims that have been damaged by driving over potholes.
“It’s essential that your car’s tyres are always properly inflated to the correct levels,” explains Stuart Jackson, Chairman, TyreSafe. “If tyres are run below their recommended pressures, they are much more likely to suffer a rapid failure, and very often this happens after prolonged periods of high speed running, where the consequences can be catastrophic.”
By checking tyre pressures at least once a week, drivers will be much more likely to spot any gradual loss of pressure and have this investigated by a qualified tyre professional.
“If you do have the misfortune of hitting a pothole or notice that your tyres are showing signs of pressure loss, you should visit your local tyre fitting centre at the earliest opportunity so they can check that both your tyres and wheel rims are in a safe and serviceable condition,” concludes Jackson.When tyres are run below their recommended pressures, they can overheat which can eventually lead to a rapid deflation, endangering the safety of the driver, their passengers and other road users. Furthermore, driving on under-inflated tyres leads to increased tyre wear and higher fuel bills adding unnecessary expense to your motoring costs.
For more information about checking your tyre pressures or to find the location of your nearest TyreSafe member, visit www.tyresafe.org.
