Summer is creeping in day by day so it’s time for motorists to be cautious when it comes to their cars maintenance and care. Traffic Authorities in Abu Dhabi have advised motorists to pay particular attention to the care and maintenance of their car tyres ahead of the scorching heat. Car tyre maintenance is critical in the extreme weather as the change in air pressure can case hazards to it. To ensure continuous safety while driving, it’s important to keep an eye on the condition of your car’s tyres.
Tyres that may be ill-maintained or substandard in quality may survive through the winter season, but the heat of the summer can have a toll on these tyres increasing the probability of causing a fatal accident through tyre burst etc. In order to increase road safety in the UAE, the traffic authorities in the region have launched an awareness campaign among the motorists about the importance of well-maintained car tyres in summers.
Traffic Authorities about Car Tyre Maintenance in summers
The Director General of Traffic and Patrols Directorate in Abu Dhabi, Brigadier Khalifa Mohammad Al Khaili, has urged motorists to pay close attention to their car tyres condition and keep them proper, to avoid any tyre burst on the road while driving. He asked motorists to check the car tyres condition especially before going on a long journey. According to him, it’s advisable to use high quality tyres for a safe drive in the summer season.
Guides to Maintain Car Tyres in the Summer Season
Despite the increasing heat and the potential danger of the tyres rubber melting away, causing it to burst, there are certain ways to maintain car tyres and avoid such danger. Here are some of the tips and guides that motorists can to prep their tyres for this hot season.
Check the Air Pressure Regularly
Adequate air pressure in a car’s tyre is what keeps it going. Due to the rising temperature in the summer season, the heated air inside the tyres expands, its pressure rises quickly. This causes tyre blowout with disastrous consequences. A tyre blowout is a rapid loss of inflation pressure of a pneumatic tyre leading to an explosion.
If this air pressure is regulated on a daily basis, it will minimize the danger of a vehicle spinning out of control and also prevent the premature wear and tear of tyres. In order to maintain the ideal air pressure of the car tyres, the user manual of the vehicle must be checked as different tyres as different sizes have their particular air pressure that must be maintained.
Also read: Car Tyre Maintenance – Filling and Checking Tyres At Home
Regular Rotation of Car Tyres
Due to friction, and in this case heat, tyres are prone to depreciation in condition and performance. With the majority of the cars manufactured are Rear-Wheel-Drive, the rear wheel tyres may experience more wear and tear as compared to the front wheel tyres. In order to avoid premature wear of the tyres and increase their longevity, the tyres rotation technique is used.
Rotation of tyres is basically when the front wheel tyres are adjusted at the rear wheels and vice versa, using a crisscross formation. This will allow an alteration to the pressure and friction on the car tyres as compared to before.
Inspection of the Tyre Tread on a Regular Basis
Tyre tread is referred to as the rubber on the circumference of the tyre that makes contact on the road or ground. There is always a pattern on them called the tread pattern. This pattern is made to avoid too much contact of the rubber on the road surface that may cause the tyre to heat up quickly due to friction. With more use of the car, and of course tyres, the tread is prone to wearing off with time, limiting its effectiveness in producing traction.
In summers, it is necessary to keep a good check on the tread condition of the tyres because poor tread depth increases the chances of a tyre blowout.
The 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.” This test includes a dirham coin that you use to place it between the ribs and tread. Tyre rib is the raised area of a tyre. Upon placing the coin, if the Arab teapot on coin is completely visible then that means the tyre has poor tread depth. Such tyres need to be changed as soon as possible in order to avoid a potential blowout on the road.
Also read: Car Tyres – Brands That Make the Best Tyres
Check the Alignment of Wheels and Axles
Other than the condition of the tyres, it’s important to keep a check on the axles that’s keeping them in place. The alignment of the tyres needs to be proper 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. One tip for motorists in the UAE to keep their tyres in pristine condition during summer is to check their wheel alignment in the start of the summer. This will keep their car tyres properly maintained throughout the season.
Replace Air with Nitrogen
As mentioned before, air expands faster in rising temperature. Nitrogen on the other hand, expands slowly. In order to avoid a tyre burst in the summer, you can always replace the air with nitrogen in the start of summers. This will save your weekly efforts and regular checks on the tyre pressure. Nevertheless, this does not mean that you can neglect the tyres and their maintenance the whole season.
Keep a Well-Conditioned Spare Tyre on Board
Despite your regular maintenance and following all the appropriate tips to keep your tyres in proper shape for the summer, you should still have a backup ready to help you get out of an emergency fix situation. Your car should have spare tyre on board in your trunk in case you do have a tyre blowout for any reason.
These are some of the tips and guides that motorists in the UAE can use to keep their car tyres in proper condition and to avoid any road hazards especially in the scorching heat of the summer season.
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