[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he state of the roads is an issue all over the UK but did you know that recently published reports show that some of the toughest roads to drive on are north of the border? The motorists of Aberdeen, for example, face average speeds of under 6 mph at busy times with worse congestion than London. The A82 out of Glasgow is another trouble spot as are the M74 and M8 motorways. Of course, poorly maintained roads and slow-moving traffic take their toll on your car, especially the tyres. What should you be doing to maintain them?
Bumping up kerbs to get around stationary traffic or running your car bumper-to-bumper with the one in front so that you cannot see debris in the road means your tracking can go out of kilter easily. On highland roads, you can also suffer from wheels going out of alignment simply because of the number of stones and rocks that you drive over. If your wheel alignment is not corrected, then you will wear down a section of your tyre which can mean it becomes illegal to drive on much sooner than you’d expect.
Check Your Wheel Alignment
Under-Inflated Tyres
If you are in slow moving traffic all of the time, perhaps doing the school run in Edinburgh or getting caught in rush hour traffic in Dundee, then it may be hard for you to detect under-inflated tyres. Once you do hit the open road, then partially flat tyres will make your car run inefficiently because they come into contact with more of the tarmac than properly pressurised ones. You might even lose control on an under-inflated tyre if you need to serve at the last moment so make sure you check the pressure every few thousand miles, especially if you only tend to drive slowly around town!
Using an online service is very handy in rural Scotland or in troublesome areas like Kirkcaldy. If your tyres are damaged on the potholes that seem to line every road in an area like Kirkcaldy, then you can ensure the right ones for your car are there for you when you arrive to have them fitted. This means getting matching tyres for your existing ones and being reassured of getting the brand you want. You can reserve your tyres in advance all over Scotland and also buy your tyres for Kirkcaldy at Point S. You’ll also benefit from finding special offers if you choose to reserve new tyres in advance rather than having to take what happens to be available.
Reserve Replacement Tyres
Confirm Your Tread Depth
When you drive on poorly maintained roads, like those in much of Scotland, the tread depth of your tyres gets worn down more rapidly than on fresh tarmac. With less grip afforded by the road surface, every time you brake more is taken out of the rubber in your tyres. Invest in a tyre tread depth gauge so you can confirm that you have sufficient tread depth with ease. Remember that you need to do this around the whole circumference of each tyre to make sure that it is still offering sufficient grip to cope with a Scottish winter.
