Why you should check your tyre pressure before you drive in winter

Winter is here, and with it comes the cold weather, and the need to take extra care of your car. 1 of the most important things you can do to ensure your safety and comfort on the road is to check your tyre pressure regularly. Here are some reasons why you should do this, and how to do it right.

Here’s how cold weather affect your tyre pressure

You may not know this, but the air inside your tyres changes with the temperature outside. When it is colder, the pressure of your tyres goes down. This means that your tyres can have less air in winter, which can make your driving worse and unsafe.

Experts say that tyre pressure goes down by 0.07 to 0.14 bar for every 10°C. This may not sound like much, but it can change how your tyres touch the road, how they get worn out, and how much fuel your car uses.

The benefits of maintaining the right tyre pressure in winter

Having your tyres at the right pressure can be good for you and your car, like:

Improved traction and handling: Under-inflated tyres can reduce the contact area between the tyre and the road, which can make your steering, braking, and turning harder. This can be very risky on slippery or wet roads, where you need more grip and control. By maintaining the right tyre pressure, you can ensure optimal traction and handling in any road condition.

Longer tyre life: Under-inflated tyres can cause uneven and faster tyre wear, which can shorten the lifespan of your tyres and increase the risk of punctures or blowouts. By keeping the right tyre pressure, you can stop your tyres from wearing out too soon and save money on buying new tyres.

Better fuel economy: Under-inflated tyres can increase the rolling resistance of your tyres, which means that your engine must work harder and use more fuel to move your car. By maintaining the right tyre pressure, you can reduce the rolling resistance and improve your fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions.

How to r? Here’s how to check and adjust your tyre pressure in winter

Checking and adjusting your tyre pressure is easy and quick, and you can do it yourself with a few simple steps:

Find out your car’s tyre pressure. You can find this information in 1 of the following places: On the vehicle itself (on the inside of a car door or the fuel hatch) or in the vehicle’s user manual.

Check your tyre pressure when your tyres are cold. The best time to check your tyre pressure is when your tyres are cold, which means after driving your vehicle less than 3 km. If you check your tyre pressure when your tyres are warm, you may get a false reading and over-inflate your tyres.

Use a reliable tyre pressure gauge. You can use a digital or analogue tyre pressure gauge to measure the pressure of your tyres. You can also use the air pumps at petrol stations, but make sure they’re calibrated and accurate.

Change your tyre pressure if needed: If your tyre pressure is lower or higher than the recommended level, you need to change it. To do this, you can use the air pumps at petrol stations. Make sure you don’t over-inflate or under-inflate your tyres, as this can cause problems too.