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Keep up the pressure over Christmas

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<b>SET AND LOADED:</b> Have you checked your tyre pressure now that the boot is fully-packed? <i>Image: Shutterstock</i>
<b>SET AND LOADED:</b> Have you checked your tyre pressure now that the boot is fully-packed? <i>Image: Shutterstock</i>
Before you set out on your holiday trip during the Christmas holidays, tyre safety organisation TyreSafe is reminding folk, it's important that your tyres are properly inflated before heading off.

With a fully loaded vehicle - five people, luggage and presents - many cars will need to have their tyres inflated to a higher pressure to maximise their safety, comfort and efficiency on the road, says the organisation.

CORRECT PRESSURES

TyreSafe chairman Stuart Jackson said: “Most cars require different tyre-pressure settings depending on the number of passengers or amount of luggage being carried.

"Many of us travel around more during the Christmas period as a family or will be carrying extra loads. It’s therefore important that before heading off to see friends and relatives, drivers ensure that their tyres are inflated to the correct pressures.”

Under-inflation or over-loading can cause a number of problems, among them higher fuel bills, increased tyre wear as well as reduced safety. When the tyres are not properly inflated for the load being carried excessive heat builds up inside the tyre which significantly increases the risk of a rapid failure - a blow-out - an event which is most likely to occur during prolonged periods of running at high speed.

“Checking your tyre pressures is a very quick and simple job,” Jackson added. “By spending just a few moments before you travel, you could save yourself a whole heap of festive misery or unwanted expense.”

TyreSafe’s tips for checking tyre pressures:

1 Check your tyre pressures at least once a month or before any long journeys
2 Check the pressures against the vehicle manufacturers recommended level for the load being carried (see the car's handbook, next to the fuel cap, perhaps in the boot or on the driver's side door sill).
3 Check pressures when your tyres are cold (when you’ve travelled less than three km)
4 Use a reliable and accurate pressure gauge
5 Check pressure in each of the four tyres - plus the spare
6 When checking pressures, give the rest of the tyre a thorough visual inspection
7 Remove any stones and other objects in the tread and look out for any lumps, cuts or bulges in the tyre
8 If you are unsure about anything, visit your nearest tyre-fitting centre and seek expert advice.

For more information about any aspect of tyre safety, visit the Tyresafe website

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