Topgear News

Research from the UK TyreSafe Organisation has found that pressure washers can damage the sidewalls of tyres in only 5 seconds.

Pressure washers are commonly used by hand car washes for speed, but the research has shown that after just 5 seconds, there can be damage to the sidewall and degradation. The tyre damage can be even worse if the water is heated or if the pressurized water is aimed at the tyre for some time. The results of damaged tyres can be blow-outs which have been known to cause serious accidents.

The research showed that over 80% of drivers were unaware of the damage that pressure washers can cause to tyres.

Owners of cars and especially performance cars should be checking their car tyres more regularly, due to the fact that they can pose an accident risk if a car tyre is defective.

Tyresafe, an organization who promote tyre safety, carried out a survey over a two month period and the results were pretty shocking - 30% of tyres removed from performance cars were defective, a figure which is three times the national average of 12%.

Part of the reason why performance cars are more likely to have defective tyres is because the wheel arches tend to be larger than your average car, making it more difficult and awkward to check the tread of the tyre.

With fuel prices rising and the government planning to hike the burden on motorists’ wallets even further through pay-per-mile road tolls and ’green’ taxes, drivers looking for ways to fight back and keep their car costs down can find support in a new free guide.

Published by motoring advice website KwikGuides.com (www.kwikguides.com), ’How to Cut Your Car Costs’ covers a range of tips from how to be a savvy buyer and avoid cash-sapping depreciation, to saving money when choosing finance, insurance, servicing and fuel. The advice in the guide can cut hundreds - for newer cars, even thousands - from annual car bills.

Thousands of accidents a year on Britain’s roads could be prevented if the minimum tyre tread depth is increased by 1.4mm, according to the shock findings of an Auto Express investigation. In the first study of its kind, Auto Express compared how much more quickly a car fitted with tyres that have 3mm of tread left on can halt from 70mph in the wet, as opposed to when the rubber is on the 1.6mm legal limit.

Giving your car a bit of a customise could be just the ticket to increase its value, according to the latest research from EurotaxGlass’s.
The automotive business intelligence company has said that a little facelift to the exterior of your car in its first year can add around 15 per cent to the value of the motor.
This will come as no surprise to fans of Pinks, the show where racecar enthusiasts compete in their customised rides for each other’s pink slips.
“Even after three years, facelifted cars will still typically retain around 50 per cent of the initial premium,” said Richard Crosthwaite, prestige car editor at EurotaxGlass’s.

Tyres - The Key to a Healthy Car

Tyres are one of the most important pieces of equipment on your car. It doesn’t matter how well everything else works, engine, transmission, suspension, even brakes… if the tyres cannot grip the road properly then you have no traction, and therefore no control.

In order to provide the right traction and control a tyre requires adequate tread to shed water and grip the road effectively. They also have to maintain good inflation, in order to have good contact with the ground and so good cornering. Unfortunately tyres are one aspect of a car’s maintenance that tends to get ignored.

Tyres - The Key to a Healthy Car

Tyres are one of the most important pieces of equipment on your car. It doesn’t matter how well everything else works, engine, transmission, suspension, even brakes… if the tyres cannot grip the road properly then you have no traction, and therefore no control.

In order to provide the right traction and control a tyre requires adequate tread to shed water and grip the road effectively. They also have to maintain good inflation, in order to have good contact with the ground and so good cornering. Unfortunately tires are one aspect of a car’s maintenance that tends to get ignored.