Motorists in the UAE have been advised by the traffic authorities to take care of the maintenance of their car tyres ahead of a daunting summer season. Maintenance of tyres bears critical importance to ensure a safe commute, especially in the summer season. While the weak, ill-maintained or substandard tyres might survive the winter season, the heat of summer however, can have a toll on them and such tyres can easily cause a massive car breakdown, leading to potentially deadly consequences on the road. In order to maintain maximum road safety in the UAE, the traffic departments all across the UAE have amped up their efforts to build awareness among motorists about the importance of well-maintained car tyres.
Also read: Car Maintenance Advice for a Daunting Summer Season
Official Statement about Maintaining Car Tyres in summer
Brigadier Khalifa Mohammad Al Khaili, Director General of Traffic and Patrols Directorate in Abu Dhabi Police has warned motorists to look after their car tyres properly in order to avoid tyre blowout in summer leading to a potentially deadly road situation. He especially asked the motorists to check their car’s tyres before going on long journeys and also suggested the use of high quality tyres for a safe drive in the summer season.
Tips to Maintain Car Tyres in the Summer Season
While summer season can be challenging for car tyres and tyre blowouts become more common, there are ways to maintain car tyres and avoid dangerous road situations. Tyres in the summer season should be maintained with extra care and following tips can be helpful for motorists in this regard.
Check the Air Pressure Regularly
In summer, you should ideally check the air pressure of the tyres twice a week. In the case of long daily commutes, drivers must inspect the air pressure every day. Properly inflated tyres are critical for a safe drive as they minimize the danger of a vehicle spinning out of control and also prevent the premature wear and tear of tyres. To maintain the ideal air pressure of the car tyres, the user manual of the vehicle must be checked as different tyres of different sizes have their particular air pressure that must be maintained.
Rotate Front Tyres with Back Tyres after Every 8,000-10,000 Kilometres
This practice balances the wear of all tyres as the wear and tear of front tyres is more than that of back tyres. Rotating the tyres can save you from the premature wear of the tyres and makes your car tyres last long.
Also read: Driving Safety: Quick ways for knowing When to Replace Car Tyres
Inspect the Tyre Tread on a Regular Basis in the Summer Season
It becomes necessary to keep a good check on the tread condition of the tyres in summer because tyres with poor tread depth are the ones with maximum vulnerability to blowouts. Tyre tread depth can be checked with the help of a “Tread Depth Gauge” that can be easily purchased from market or it can be checked through a “Dirham Coin Test”. For “Dirham Coin Test”, you need to place a coin between the tyre ribs and tread. Tyre rib is the raised area of a tyre. On placing the Dirham Coin, if you can see the complete Arab Teapot on the coin, it’s a sign of poor tyre tread depth. Tyres with poor tread depths must be changed without a delay to avoid a potential blowout of tyres.
Check the Alignment of Wheels and Axles
Wheels and axles must be properly aligned as it protects the tyres from untimely wear and also adds to the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Unaligned wheels can damage the bearings and can hence damage the tyres as well. Motorists in the UAE must get the alignment of the wheels checked at the start of the summer so that tyres can be maintained appropriately throughout the summer.
How Badly Maintained Tyres can be a Potential Safety and Life Threat
According to the founder of the RoadSafetyUAE, 5% of the total road deaths per year in the UAE are due to tyre bursts. In Abu Dhabi alone, 28 accidents occurred last year due to tyre bursts, in which 14 people lost their lives. This is alarming but still something that motorists can easily prevent themselves from happening by inspecting the condition of the car tyres regularly in the summer season and replace a weak tyre immediately whenever it is spotted. The traffic authorities have advised motorists to check the tyres of their vehicles periodically in summer and it can be even better if motorists can check the condition of tyres every time before hitting the road.
The result of driving a car with weak tyres means that you are putting your own life as well as the lives of other passengers of the car on a serious threat. Weak and worn out tyres with poor tread depth can be fatal while driving especially in summer because the surface of the road absorbs extra heat and that can weaken the worn out tyres even more. This is why authorities in Abu Dhabi and other states within the UAE have asked motorists to remain extra watchful of the health of their tyres in summer season.
If you are planning to buy a new car then don’t forget that with us, you can sell your used car in 30 minutes regardless of age, model or condition while all the post-sale paperwork is handled by SellAnyCar.com’s team.
