Even at home there are certain things you can do to keep your tyres in good condition.
1. Check your tyres’ tread depth
The tread in your tyres is what lets it disperse water or other slippery elements between your vehicle and the road, making tread important to your vehicle’s handling.
Over time the surface of your tyres will wear away, resulting in shallower tread and less ability to shift water. Newer tyres will have indicators in the tread pattern to let you know when your vehicle’s tyres are getting too bald.
For others, a handy trick is to insert a 20 cent piece in the main grooves of your tread; if you can see all of the platypus’ bill over the top of the tread, it’s time for some new tyres.
2. Check for uneven wear
If your tyres’ tread is wearing unevenly, with patches of worn and unworn tyre, it’s a sign that your tyres or wheels are poorly balanced or aligned.
If your tyres are worn on one side, for instance, the cause is likely poorly aligned wheels.
Excessive wear on both sides with a clean middle, or worn middle and unworn sides, usually mean the tyre is incorrectly inflated.
3. Tyre rotation
Tyre wear can have a varying effect on different tyres on the same vehicle, which is most often just down to the different ways in which a vehicle is used.
Regularly carry a plus-size passenger? Your front wheels will wear more quickly. Do you do your shopping in large trips? This puts excess pressure on your back wheels.
You can mitigate the effect your driving habits have on tyre wear by rotating your tyres – that is, taking tyres off one corner of your vehicle and putting them on another. This will share the worst of your vehicle’s tyre wear amongst all four tyres on your vehicle, leading to a longer tyre life.