Your tyre’s pressure is vital for your safety and your vehicle’s performance

46635339 - close-up of man checking car tyre pressure with gauge


Road Safety and Breakdown Recovery organisation, GEM Motoring, of the UK has sent a compelling message out to all motorists to ensure that they carry out regular tyre pressure checks on their cars as it stresses that correct tyre pressure is not only vital for safety but is also one way to maximise fuel economy.

The organisation highlighted that under-inflated tyres will reduce your vehicle’s ability to grip onto the road and will also affect your car’s handling for the worse. Not only does it lead to the undesirable situation of unpredictable vehicle behaviour, it also increases the risk of a tyre blowout when sudden rapid defaltion occurs.

How a properly inflated tyre would normally look like.

On the other hand, over inflated tyres isn’t exactly a good thing either. This is as they have a smaller contact area with the road, resulting in an increase in stopping distance. Also, it causes a lot more wear across the central part of the tyre, leading to a shorter tyre lifespan – something we all dread.

GEM Road Safety Officer Neil Worth encourages drivers to perform a tyre pressure check at least once a month – crucially before a long journey as only then the safety systems on your car can perform to its maximum efficiency. He also highlighted that your car’s tyres will last longer without unnecessary increase in running costs.

“After all, properly inflated tyres require less energy than under-inflated tyres to make them turn, so your vehicle will use less fuel”, said Neil Worth.