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Rector’s Letter

Kensworth

Parish Council

Tread Carefully on the Roads

Despite the date on the calendar, all the rain and flash flooding we are having this summer can lead to the roads becoming potentially treacherous, so now is the ideal time to consider your road safety, and particularly the condition of your tyres – the only contact all cars have with the road.

When did you last check the condition of your car tyres? Last week? Last month? Can't remember? Here are some useful tips to prompt you.

Tyre Safety Tips

1. Do not use tyres with a tread depth of less than 1.6mm. Most tyres have tread wear indicators, usually six or more small ribs across the bottom of the main tread grooves. When the tread surface is level with these ribs, the tyre needs replacing.

2. Make sure your air pressures are correct. Check tyre inflation pressures at least twice a month. Always check pressures when tyres are cool and maintain the pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.

3. Don't drive with damaged tyres. If you drive with a foreign body stuck in the tyre, the tyre can become punctured or ruptured. You should change the tyre immediately on discovering any damage, like the sidewall bulge shown above.

4. Check the spare tyre regularly. In particular check the spare tyre's air pressure, existence of damage and the depth of remaining grooves.

5. Never overload your tyres. The maximum load and inflation pressure of the tyres are moulded into the sidewall. Also, remember; the tyre is capable of carrying the maximum load only if it is inflated to its maximum air pressure.

6. Never fit used tyres unless you are sure of their past history. Have old tyres checked by a tyre specialist so that you can be certain they are still safe.

7. If you get a puncture, stop as soon as possible and change the tyre. Besides the obvious safety considerations, continuing to drive on an under-
inflated tyre can cause structural deterioration. Punctured tyres must always be removed from the wheel to check for secondary damage

8. If it is feasible to repair a tyre, it must be carried out by a tyre specialist as soon as possible to avoid any structural deterioration. All tyre repairs must be entrusted to a tyre repair specialist.

Recommended websites

Images of tyre problems: http://www.dunloptyres.co.uk/ourTyres/car/tyreCare/

Further advice: see ‘Info & Legal’ page at: http://www.tyresafety.co.uk/