How to prevent damage to tyre sidewalls
It is important that you carry out regular checks of your tyres to ensure they are roadworthy, with the main aim to keep you safe while driving. When inspecting your tyres you should keep an eye out for any rips, tears or bulges.
Regular tyre pressure checks are also advised. We would advise checking your tyres on a weekly basis using a tyre pressure gauge or alternatively, you can purchase a tyre inflator, which will allow you to pump up your tyres at home. You may get a dashboard warning light stating that one of your tyres has a low tyre pressure.
Related: Dashboard Warning Lights
As well as the tyre pressure, you should also check the tyre tread depth to ensure your tyre tread is within the legal tyre limit. You can test this by conducting the 20p tyre test. Tyre maintenance checks are especially important if your car has been kept idle for a long period of time, either sat on a driveway or parked in a garage.
Within this article, we will be discussing the importance of regular tyre inspections, as well as telling you what precautions you can take to help prevent damage to tyre sidewalls. It is important to note that if your tyres are not roadworthy, then you will fail an MOT check.
If on inspection, you notice damage to your tyre sidewall, this can potentially point to an issue with the tyre's structure. If you notice any damage to your tyres, we would strongly advise that you book in at your local National Tyres and Autocare branch for a free visual health check.
During the visual health check, the National branch staff will conduct an inspection of the tyre sidewall damage. Tyre sidewall damage is not repairable. If you would like your tyre changed due to tyre sidewall damage, we have a mobile tyre-fitting service that can be undertaken at either your home or work or this can be done in a branch.
Tips to protect tyre sidewalls
Here are a number of ways that you can protect your tyre sidewalls. These tips will ensure that your tyres last longer, saving you the time and money of having to get a replacement set of new tyres.
Purchase tyres with rim protection
On the National Tyres and Autocare website, we sell tyres that come with rim protection. A rim protector is a reinforced rubber layer that is installed into the tyre bead. Rim protection offers an improved level of safety for the tyre. This safety feature protects both your tyre and wheel against damage such as sidewall and kerbing damage. If you want to purchase rim protection tyres, please click on the link below. After entering either your tyre size or your vehicle reg, look out for the tyre symbol of 'RP' within the tyre search results.
Related: Rim Protection Tyres
Avoid contact with kerbs while parking
When you are parking your car, pay close attention to ensure you don't damage your tyres on the kerb. Tyre sidewall damage when parallel parking is unfortunately quite a common occurrence. If you regularly scuff or bang your tyres on the kerb while parking, this can cause long-term damage to the tyre sidewall. This will decrease the overall quality and stability of the tyre.
Keep your tyres at the correct tyre pressure
It is vitally important that your tyres are at the correct tyre pressure. You can pump up your tyres by using a tyre inflator. The tyre inflator is plugged into your car's cigarette lighter, you can then manually check your tyre pressures at home and pump up the tyre if needed.
If your car has not been driven for an extended period of time, this will result in a decreased tyre pressure. When your tyre pressure is not at the required limit, the tyre sidewall is at a higher risk of damage.
The lack of tyre pressure will expose the tyre sidewall as the tyre sidewall is compensating to keep the car stable. Not only can this cause serious damage to the tyre sidewall, but also can harm the overall tyre structure. To find out your tyre pressures, please click on the related article link below.
Related: How do you check TYRE pressure
Regularly clean your tyres
It is important to clean your tyres on a regular basis. Exposure to oil and dirt can damage the overall tyre structure as some oils and solvents can soften the rubber compound used within the tyre.
Be wary of potholes
This tip will not come as a surprise but it is important to try and avoid any potholes when driving. Potholes can cause serious harm to your tyres, damaging the tyre sidewalls or potentially causing a tyre blowout. A study by the Highway Industry found that 'Cornwall has the most potholes in the UK'.
Is it safe to drive on a tyre with sidewall damage?
It is not safe to drive on a tyre that has tyre sidewall damage. Tyre sidewall damage can harm the overall tyre structure and can increase the chance of a tyre blow out or puncture.
How do I know if my sidewall is damaged?
When manually inspecting your tyres, you will be able to notice if there is tyre sidewall damage if you see any of the following: bulges, rips, tears, bubbles.
Is TYRE sidewall damage an MOT failure?
Yes. If your tyre has tyre sidewall damage, this will result in an MOT fail. Tyres will tyre sidewall damage can be marked as a dangerous defect.
If you have noticed that your car tyres are showing signs of tyre sidewall damage then it may be time for some new tyres. If you are wanting to purchase new tyres online, no matter your budget, you can purchase tyres online at National by clicking on the link below.
Related: Buy tyres online
We also offer a free visual health check at any of our National branches, where your tyres can be inspected. This is a completely free service without any obligation- it just helps gives you that peace of mind that your car is safe to drive.
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