Motorists urged to check tyres amid soaring temperatures

Drivers are being urged to check their tyres as temperatures continue to rise across the UK.

Independent road safety charity IAM RoadSmart has said that drivers should be carrying out tread and pressure checks on their tyres as issues such as bubbling or punctures could be seriously exacerbated by intense heat.

Rebecca Ashton, head of policy and research at IAM RoadSmart, commented: “In the midst of a UK and European heatwave, it’s vital that we do all we can to protect our health and wellbeing. While things like limiting your sun exposure and staying hydrated are perhaps more obvious aspects to staying safe, an often-overlooked exercise is checking your car.”

A survey of 1,004 motorists by the charity recently discovered that those surveyed only check their tyre treads every 10.5 weeks and also only looked at their tyre pressures every 7.2 weeks, even though the recommendation for the latter is to check them once a fortnight.

Coolant checks were also neglected, with survey respondents saying that they check their vehicle’s coolant every 11.6 weeks, despite recommendations that it is checked every two weeks or before a long journey. This is particularly relevant in hot weather as coolant ensures that the engine can effectively manage its temperature.

Ashton added: “Worryingly, our research has revealed that motorists are not conducting tyre checks as often as they should be, and the soaring temperatures could bring the issues associated with this to the fore. We would urge motorists to ensure they make these routine tyre and vehicle checks more often in such extreme conditions.”