Pirelli offers tyre maintenance tips for those returning to the road

With some drivers returning to the roads as the lockdown eases, Pirelli technicians have offered five tyre maintenance tips to help ensure safety and performance. Drivers are also being referred to the company’s Pirelli Performance Centre network for further enquiries. There are now 128 depots in the UK Pirelli Performance Centre network. Retailers within the network maintain standards through a 130-point technical audit, which each centre completes twice a year with increasingly demanding criteria.

Here are their top five tyre maintenance tips:

1. Checking tyres visually to see if there are any lumps or deformations caused by the car standing still for a long time, or by the weather conditions. Check also for damage, cuts, abrasions, and any bulges in the tyres. Ensure that the valve caps are tight as well.
2. Checking tyre pressures (also on the spare tyre) ideally at a tyre dealer with professional measuring equipment. This helps guarantee optimal performance and safety, as well as ensuring your vehicle’s fuel economy is not adversely affected.
3. Take note of tyre wear. Ensure that the remaining tread depth is above the legal limit of 1.6 millimetres tread depth. This can be checked using the tread depth indicator on the tyre itself: which is a 1.6 millimetre-high ridge of rubber within one of the main tyre grooves – just above the TWI (Tread Wear Indicator). There are six of these TWI markings on the upper part of the sidewall. If that rubber ridge is at the same level as the groove itself, then the tyre is down to the legal minimum.
4. Paying close attention to any vibrations felt through the steering wheel after the car has been standing for a long period of time. If these don’t go away after the first few miles, get the car looked at by professionals as soon as possible.
5. Checking you have appropriate tyres for summer. If you currently have winter tyres fitted, there’s not a defined date limit to swap back to summer tyres in the UK. However, to ensure the best driving experience and optimal safety, Pirelli recommends fitting summer tyres for the hotter months ahead, as these have a specific compound designed to maintain high levels of reliability even at high temperatures. Alternatively, if you want a balanced solution that can be used throughout the year, then Pirelli’s all-season tyres are a perfect choice.