Have you checked your tyres recently?

Every October TyreSafe leads the UK’s largest tyre safety awareness campaign, Tyre Safety Month. In 2025, their theme is Under Pressure responding to the growing mental and financial pressures felt across all sections of society.

When life feels overwhelming, routine vehicle checks can easily be neglected – yet something as basic as ignoring underinflated tyres can lead to life-threatening consequences.

How do I check my tyre pressure?

Firstly, you need to find out the correct pressure for your tyres. This can be found in the vehicle manufacturers’ handbook, as well as it being available inside the fuel filler cap or driver’s door sill.

Once you know what pressures your tyres should be you can then look to measure each tyre’s pressure. Most modern vehicles come with a TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System), however you can manually measure each tyre’s pressure using either the gauges found at petrol stations or by purchasing an at-home pressure gauge. These manual options also allow you to increase or decrease the pressure to the desired level.

What else should I check with my tyres?

In addition to checking your tyre’s air pressure you should also check their general condition and the depth of the tyre tread.

Condition

Tyres are never manufactured with lumps, bumps or objects sticking in them, so if you see any of these, you’ll need to have the tyre inspected by a qualified technician since these could indicate internal damage.

Tyres should be examined frequently, removing stones or other embedded objects from the tread and oil or grease removed with a suitable diluted detergent.

Tread depth

The “tyre tread” is the patterned part of the tyre that meets the road surface. It is made up of ribs, grooves, blocks and sipes which work to improve the tyre’s performance. The primary function of the tread is to keep the tyre in contact with the road in wet weather by effectively displacing water.

The deeper the tyre tread, the more water it can clear from the road surface and the better its grip. As a tyre’s tread pattern wears down less grip is provided. So, it’s important to regularly check the tread depth of your tyres to ensure that they’re well above the legal minimum.

Simply place a 20p coin into the main tread grooves of your tyre. If the outer band of the 20p coin is obscured when it is inserted, then your tread is above the legal limit. If the outer band of the coin is visible, then your tyres may be illegal and unsafe and should be checked immediately by a qualified technician.

If you would rather that we checked your tyres just give us a call on 01202 148303 or email us at service@star-tech-ev.co.uk.