First-time drivers: Five things you need to know about car tyres

Tyres are one of the most important safety features on your car.

They help the vehicle change direction, stop and go, but if they’re not checked regularly, they could be dangerous and cause an accident.

If you’re a new driver, a lack of experience might mean you will need to know some of the important factors to look at when it comes to your tyres.

What does the writing on the tyre mean? How old is it? When do I need to replace them? We’ve spoken to the experts at Davanti Tyres to give a clearer understanding about everything you need to know about car tyres.

The first thing to check is tyre pressures. Over time, your car’s tyres might lose pressure, so routinely checking them will ensure that they’re always at the right levels.

All cars will come with a recommended tyre pressure and will feature information within the vehicle to tell you. They are usually found behind the car’s fuel filler door, inside the door shuts or in the user manual. Having the correct tyre pressures will make the car drive better, put less wear on the rubber and make the vehicle more fuel-efficient, too.

Also, there is no harm in visually checking your tyres on a regular basis. Look for cracks, splits and cuts on the rubber itself. Any severe damage could result in an MOT failure or, worse, a blowout. It will take a few minutes, but it could save you money and your life.

Checking your tread pattern on a tyre is one of the most important safety checks you can do.

Here in the UK, the legal minimum requirement on a tyre is 1.6mm – anything below it will be an MOT failure and the vehicle will not be allowed to be used on the road.

The tread pattern is what makes up your tyre, ensuring plenty of grip. If you notice a sudden loss of traction in dry driving conditions, check the treads for wear.

One of the best pieces of advice is the 20p test. It’s a simple way for drivers to check the tread depths of their tyres. Put the coin in between the tread, and if you can still see the outer edge of the coin, you’ll need new tyres. Additionally, a more effective way is to use a tyre tread gauge, which will give you a more accurate reading.

If you’re a first-time driver, it’s expected that you’re going to encounter a few mishaps along the way. Hitting your tyres on a curb when parallel parking into a space shouldn’t do much damage to them, so there’s no need to panic right away.

However, it could knock the vehicle’s tracking out of alignment, which will then lead to the tyres wearing unevenly, causing them to be weaker and need replacing quicker. This can also happen if you encounter a large pothole, as it can cause uneven wear or even a puncture. If you believe your alignment has been pushed out – or if you car feels like it isn’t steering properly – get it checked out by a professional.

When you purchase new rubber for your car, it’s important to know what the markings etched into the sidewalls of the tyres represent.

The information consists of the tyre’s size, load capacity, speed rating and age. Furthermore, a combination of different letters and numbers displayed on the tyre will show you the width, the height of the tyres, how fast it can go, the maximum weight it can handle and the diameter of the tyre itself.

All tyres will come with a date stamp on their sidewalls to tell you when they were manufactured. For example, it might say ‘42 22’, which indicates that the tyre was made in week 42 of 2022. If your tyres are more than seven years old, it’s recommended that you replace them – even if they’re not damaged or worn.

Old tyres can become weak as the rubber begins to crack on the sidewalls and tread patterns, making them more susceptible to failing and blowing out unexpectedly.