Top 4 Reasons Why Tyres Deserve Regular Care

Tyres form the first line of safety on the road by ensuring appropriate braking, turning and handling. With just basic maintenance you can ensure that the tyres perform their best in all conditions.

Every year, thousands of motorists die in India due to accidents that are caused by bad tyres. A report cited that 9,748 road accidents occurred because of tyre bursts in 2014, claiming 3,371 lives and leaving 9,081 injured. Do we have your attention now?

 Tyres form one of the most important safety components on your vehicle and yet are the most ignored ones. Motorists, even enthusiasts, lay great stress on airbags, ABS, ESP and other safety parameters but,sadly, skip out on tyres. But our question is- HOW CAN YOU IGNORE TYRES?

 No matter whether you have a million dollar car or a humble hatchback, 600 horses to play with or just a couple of bhp to navigate, tyres are the main reason you reach from point A to B safely. all this is of no use if tyres in your car aren’t up to the task. Let’s not forget, tyres are the only link between a car and the road. Hence, taking proper care of tyres becomes of utmost importance.

 Here are our top 4 to keep your tyres in reasons which make a solid case for why tyres on your vehicle must always be in top-notch condition:

1. First line of protection

[caption id="attachment_4980" align="alignnone" width="500"] Tyres - the first layer of defence[/caption]

When we talk of safety in a car, we fail to think beyond airbags, ABS and other gadgetry and often forget to even think of tyres as an active component on this front.

 While airbags et al come in to play in case of a crash, it is the tyres that work the hardest to prevent a collision. Remember, brakes stop wheels, but tyres stop the car.

 Tyres are also responsible for handling and turning the car. They stop the vehicle at appropriate distance to avoid a collision and turn your car enough to avoid a knick.

 Tyres also keep your vehicle planted at all times and prevent it from veering off the road, especially at high speeds.  So, It’s because of the tyres that you can safely navigate traffic, reach important places and safely make it home to your loved ones.

2. Prevent slipping over wet surface

[caption id="attachment_4981" align="alignnone" width="500"] Tyres avoid hydroplaning to keep passengers safe[/caption]

Wet surfaces put your tyres through a real test. Such a situation can render ABS ,steering precision and other protective gadgets less helpful. And the only saviour is the tyres as they are specially equipped to tackle such situations.

 Tyre tread actually has various grooves and sipes that specifically disperse water to the sides so that the tyres could always stay in touch with the surface. This way, tyres prevent your car from slipping over wet surfaces and offer confident grip.

 3. Provide comfortable ride

[caption id="attachment_4982" align="alignnone" width="500"] Tyres provide a well-cushioned ride[/caption]

Tyres play a very important role in ensuring that passengers get a comfortable ride quality. This is made possible using the sidewalls. Tyre sidewall is designed to be flexible in nature. This flexibility helps the tyre absorb bumps and undulations and do not let passenger feel these jerk.

So, the next time you compliment a vehicle for a well-cushioned ride, remember to thank the tyres as well.

4. Impart stability to the vehicle

[caption id="attachment_4985" align="alignnone" width="500"] Tyres provide cars the much needed stability[/caption]

Tyres determine how much control you have while driving, how easily your car could turn and how planted it stays at high speeds etc. Let’s familiarise ourselves with the concept of Contact Patch.

It is the part of a tyre that comes in contact with road at any given point. And in most cases, this contact patch isn’t even as wide as a palm.

When contact patch of a tyre is of appropriate width, then this provides stability to the car and allows the driver to negotiate tricky bends with added ease. A wide contact patch also helps in keeping the car stable around corners.

 Correct air pressure maintains appropriate Contact Patch

[caption id="attachment_4986" align="alignnone" width="500"] Contact patch depends on tyre pressure[/caption]

An over inflated tyre leads to a smaller contact patch , which is potentially disastrous. An under inflated tyre, on the other hand, has a wider contact patch than. Such a tyre consumes more fuel to roll, thereby decreasing the fuel efficiency of your vehicle. So, it is essential to maintain appropriate tyre pressure at all times.

Conclusion

Tyres play an important role in keeping you and your loved ones safe. In fact, it won't be wrong to call them the 'Unsung heroes ' on your car.  They don’t demand much from you apart from but regular,basic care. Adequate tread depth, appropriate air pressure and periodic alignment and balancing is the recipe to ensure that the tyres go a long way.