The importance of correct tyre pressures
A correctly inflated tyre improves safety, is more economical in use and is better for the environment. By keeping your tyres at their correct pressure, you will reduce your running costs in fuel costs and premature tyre replacement. Underinflated tyres are prone to overheating use more fuel and wear out more quickly.
Low tyre pressure can affect your car’s handling as well. When a tyre is underinflated, its sidewalls flex more than they were designed to during cornering and braking. The tyre is less stable and has less traction. Response to your steering inputs gets slower and sloppy, and braking distances lengthen. Low tyre pressure can be especially harmful during an emergency situation when you’re trying to avoid an accident and you need every ounce of your car’s responsiveness and cornering or braking traction. Low tyre pressure robs your tyres of grip and responsiveness.
Underinflated tyre pressure can also affect the temperature and potentially run the risk of seriously damaging a tyre through extreme heat transfer. Generally speaking, if a tyre exceeds 70 degrees you are at risk of a tyre blowout.
Low tyre pressure also reduces tyre life. Because low tyre pressure distorts the tyre’s footprint, where your car’s rubber contacts the road, tyre wear can increase dramatically. This often shows up in unusually heavy wear on both a tyre’s inner and outer shoulders. This damage will shorten a tyre’s life, leading to premature replacement of this costly vehicle component.
Running a 4wd and Caravan tyre pressure monitoring system can help alleviate the time and stress of having to regularly check each tyre by hand. A small once-off investment in a 4WD TPMS will keep you safe on the road and save you money long term.