Checking For Tyre Damage Our Best 3 Tips

Article written by Bush Tyres

The Effect of Tyre Damage

Damaged tyres can result in damage to your car or sometimes even worse, an accident or penalty points on your driving license and a fine. The tyre below was removed as part of a set of four being changed at Spilsby depot. During the removal our team identified severe tyre damage to the front tyre having been caused by a suspension issue. Before leaving our Spilsby depot the car had four new Kumho tyres fitted followed by a full four-wheel alignment to prevent this from happening again.

Damaged tyres

This photo shows the tyre damage to the inner edge. More often than not damage to the inner edge is harder to see and check. The wear has resulted in the tread splitting all the way down to the tyre casing and exposing the chorded material on the inner edge. This could have resulted in a dangerous “blow-out” or sudden deflation.

To help you avoid a potentially dangerous situation like this, and the fine and potential penalty points on your licence. Don’t wait for your tyres to wear to this level, make time to check your tyres for tyre damage today.

Tyre safe recently released an article about a pilot scheme run by the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue’s Pioneers for change in tyre safety community initiatives. The pilot ran between March and September 2024 and saw free tyre checks conducted at 12 charity car wash events. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) ran in collaboration with TyreSafe and some other regional fire services to demonstrate the value of integrating tyre safety into wider community safety initiatives.

The National Fire Chiefs’ Council (NFCC) has since formally adopted road safety checks, including tyre damage safety inspections, as national policy at charity car wash events.

The pilot gave insights into tyre safety awareness in the region, where a total of 728 vehicles were inspected. Of those 12% (88 vehicles) had at least one illegal tyre and a total of 20% (121 vehicles) had at least one unsafe or borderline illegal tyre.

Stuart Lovatt, Chair of TyreSafe, said “This project demonstrated the power of collaboration in tackling tyre safety awareness at a community level and demonstrated the urgent need for checking for tyre damage and the public’s appreciation of the positive impact of fire service engagement in delivering this message. We are proud to have played a foundational role in this new policy development and look forward to continuing to support local services and partners to improve road safety.”

Station Commander Paul Clarke, Road Safety Lead for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said, “TyreSafe’s recognition of the collaborative efforts behind this pilot is greatly appreciated. We are proud to have worked alongside both TyreSafe and other Fire and Rescue Service partners to demonstrate the positive impact of integrating tyre safety into community initiatives such as the car washes.

With the NFCC now adopting this initiative as national guidance, we look forward to continuing our support for improved road safety, ensuring that more drivers benefit from essential tyre safety advice.”

How to check for tyre damage

Tyres should be regularly checked for age and condition, the tread depth across the whole tyre should be checked and then finally set to the correct pressure.

The easy was to do this is remember this is to A-C-T: Air Pressure, Condition, Tread depth. The best time to carry out these checks is when cleaning your car or whenever your car is parked off the roadside in a safe place, for example, on a driveway or in a car park.

If you remember, park with your wheels fully turned one way, you will then be able to see the whole of the front tyre exposing any tyre damage. You should start by looking at the tyre for any signs of uneven wear. Check for any cracks on the sidewalls or deep within the grooves of the tread. Many tyres have “wear markers” between the tread, these raised sections of rubber help to see when the tyre is worn close to the legal limit.

You could also use a tyre depth gauge if you have one. Alternatively, a 20p piece can be used as a visual guide. Place the coin into the groove, if the border is still visible, you should call into your local Bush Tyres for a more accurate check to be carried out. Our technicians can measure and advise when you need to change your tyres.

If you are not sure about carrying out these checks yourself, all our locations offer a FREE Tyre Check. Our team of tyre experts will check all your tyres including the spare and then reset all your pressures to manufacturers specification.

You can read more about this pilot scheme on the Tyre Safe website by clicking here.

With the Easter holidays upon us, if you need any help checking your tyres before you travel, call in to your local Bush Tyres branch for a FREE Tyre Damage Safety Check. Remember to “Make Time for Tyres” before you go anywhere this Easter.

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