There are several tyre-related items on the MOT test checklist – and for good reason. With your tyres providing your only point of contact with the road surface, you need your tyre to be in good condition and able to steer and stop safely and on demand. Tyres also need to be roadworthy especially if you are planning to travel around the UK in areas like Buckinghamshire, London or even Yorkshire.
Here are four other reasons why driving with worn-out tyres is a bad idea, quite apart from it being illegal to do so!
Not Safe
Smooth or bald tyres mean that you are not as safe on the UK’s roads as you should be. Over-smooth tyres struggle to grip onto the road’s surface, and while this is not as much of a problem on new, well-maintained roads that offer good grip for your tyres to bite onto, it can be an issue when you are driving on steeper than usual roads, dirt lanes, and streets that are themselves worn and poorly maintained. As well as this: smooth tyres are bald because they have lost some of their thickness, which can make them prone to punctures or blow-outs.
And all of the above problems are compounded when you are faced with one of the UK’s many sudden downpours. Tyres have deep treads on them to whisk water away from the minuscule space where the tyre’s contact surface meets the road – when there is standing water a thin layer of water can get between a smooth tyre and the road, leaving the car skidding helplessly on top of the layer of water, rather than holding onto the road. This is called aquaplaning or hydroplaning, and it is a very dangerous situation to find yourself in.
Puts You – and Others – At Risk
Your bald tyres do not only put you at risk, but they put other people at risk too. If you lose control of your vehicle you are essentially a loose cannon, barrelling down the road, uncertain of whether you can stop or steer your car safely and threatening to be a hazard to other road users – even those with good quality tyres fitted to their cars. The solution is to go to a reputable tyre fitter and have your tyres checked annually, and replaced every five years or so. You can even get your tyre fitting in Buckinghamshire – book online at Broadway Autocentres.
Costs You Money
You might think that you are saving money by driving on your old tyres for longer than you should, but in fact, you could end up quite seriously out of pocket. While a set of tyres can be expensive, the penalties for being caught driving with unsafe tyres are even more so. And the risk of fines and penalties increases should your unsafe tyres actually cause an accident and end up harming another road user. The penalties in those cases include not only hefty fines, but also the loss of your license and – if serious enough – a prison sentence. Getting new tyres when they are due is not only a sensible decision, it is one that can save you a lot of time, money and inconvenience: a very worthwhile investment.
You must ALWAYS Be Lucky
Driving on bald tyres is a gamble, and one in which you must always benefit from luck. It is far more sensible to understand that even long-shots sometimes come up, and to move the odds more in your favor by having your bald or worn-out tyres replaced as soon as they need it, rather than gambling on the chance that you will get away with it. All you need is to be unlucky once for your life to be turned quite upside-down.