When this time of year arrives, the weather conditions make it a priority to check the condition of the tires. And it is that, although their importance is evident, since they are the only thing that keeps our vehicle in contact with the road, there are more than a million cars circulating in Spain with serious defects on their tires, according to data from the DGT. In fact, the poor condition of the tires, according to a Euromaster report, is responsible for up to 30% of winter accidents.
It is common to find tires with irregular wear, a consequence of poor balancing, condition defects such as blisters or deformations and even find wheels with a tread depth below the legal minimum. Something that also affects our pocket, because detecting a problem in a wheel necessarily means changing its pair for safety reasons -to avoid the difference between the depth of the treads- and the replacement of the front pair is somewhat more expensive than the butt.
But usually it will mean more than 200 euros and the average cost of changing the four tires and their balance is around 500 euros in our country. Without forgetting the fines, since the DGT fines 200 euros for each damaged wheelso they can reach an amount of 800 euros in case of affecting the four tires.
Therefore, to avoid these and other problems, Wabi outlines the most important keys to check the condition of the tires. First of all, check their wear and do it conscientiously because despite the fact that they incorporate witnesses to check the depth of their tread, the witnesses are limited to measuring the legal limit, which does not mean that the tires are necessarily in good condition. In fact, the DGT recommends changing the tires when the tread depth reaches 3 mm, although the legal limit is 1.6 mm. Even if the tread is not worn, it is recommended as a minimum change tires every 4 – 6 years because the rubber hardens and loses its properties of elasticity and adhesion.
Also regularly check the pressure, first of all, because they must be correctly inflated for safe driving, but also to check if they lose air for no apparent reason, because if so, they may present defects and need to be changed.
Likewise, it is necessary to be attentive to its behavior, especially in rain or wet conditions, feeling a lack of grip or a lack of efficiency when braking are alarm signals that indicate that a replacement may be necessary. In the same way, check that they do not present any irregularity such as an embedded object, lumps or cracks, because if they appear it is essential to proceed with their replacement.