Prevent any mishaps during the summer months
As an iconic rock ‘n’ roll star once sang, ‘School’s out for summer!’
If you haven’t heard this on the radio in the past few days, then you can bet your bottom dollar that you soon will, reminding you to get the car packed for the inevitable Great British Holiday Getaway.
After packing the car, checking the sun cream and remembering your child’s favourite cuddly toy, it goes without saying that you’ll be checking your tyres too, right?
We thought not! As the only point of contact with the road, your TYRES really should be top of your ‘to-do’ list rather than a last-minute afterthought when you’re filtering onto the motorway.
With this in mind, we’ve devised a selection of simple checks to ensure that your disposition is as sunny as we hope the weather will be!
- Walking round and kicking your tyres isn’t a way to perform vital checks, as much as ‘sitcoms’ would have you believe. Would you trust a pilot if you caught him putting his size nines to the test, prior to take-off?! Get a professional to perform full TYRE checks and if you don’t know how, your local First Stop Partner will do this free of charge.
- Tyre breakdowns are three times higher throughout the summer months; don’t become a statistic. Firstly, take a look at your tyres – lumps, bumps, cracks and misshapes might be good for biscuits but it isn’t good for your vehicle safety! Time to visit your local First Stop Partner.
- Simply grab a 20p piece, pop it into various areas of the tread and see how your tyres are. If the tyre covers the outer edge of the 20p piece, you’ve got around 3mm of tread remaining! The legal limit is 1.6mm, but a tyre down to 3mm of tread is still 78% worn.
- Tyres Pressures: With suitcases and sun cream packed alongside umbrellas and raincoats, your vehicle will be heavier. Did you know that most tyre-related incidents occur because tyres are underinflated on an overloaded vehicle? To ensure your safety, your tyres will require an increase in pressure, which in turn will improve drive quality, grip on the road and even save you money on fuel!
- Is there anything stuck in the tread of your tyres? Pebbles and stones limit the driving experience with your tyres and can add to the effects of aquaplaning in wet British weather as well as improving grip. So, make sure your remove them from the tread!
Away from tyres on tarmac, there are plenty of other things you should check including:
- Headlights – are they clear? Are they working?
- Windscreen – are your wiper blades clean? Does your windscreen have enough visibility? Are you topped up on screen wash?
- Air Conditioning – Not a necessity, but when was the last time you had your air conditioning serviced? Not sure?
Most car manufacturers recommend that your air conditioning is serviced every 2/3 years. Plus, with a summer heatwave, you’ll definitely have the air conditioning on more than normal!
- Water – Bottles of water in your vehicle are key. If you get caught in traffic in hot sunshine, it’s best to stay hydrated!
Whatever happens, your local First Stop Partner is nearby to help prevent any motoring disaster that may occur or deal with anything major issues that have happened.
We have depots throughout the country and ensure you won’t be left asking ‘Are we nearly there yet?!’.
Find your local First Stop Partner Here