As a driver when you drive on underinflated tyres, this is one of the major mistakes you can make. A slight decrease in the tyre pressure may seem minor at first, but it can lead to major safety issues later. So it is important to maintain the ideal tyres pressure and choose high-quality tyres for your vehicle like Car tyres.
In this blog post, we are going to discuss the dangers of using underinflated tyres and how regularly checking your tyre pressure can save you and maintain your tyre in top condition.
Why Are Underinflated Tyres Are Not Safe?
When tyre pressure is less than the minimum value by the recommended tyre manufacturer the underinflation occurs. You know the correct tyre pressure of your vehicle you can check in your car manual or tyre manual to know the extract value.
The tyre pressure is measured in pounds per square inch (psi) or kPa (kilopascal). An underinflated tyre as little as 7 psi that is 48 kPa can lead to tyre damage.
You will not notice any immediate tyre underinflation if you are driving on roads with fewer corners and unpaved surfaces. If you have a habit of taking sharp corners, if you slowly notice your car not responding as quickly as used to be it is because of decreased tyre pressure.
This can be dangerous especially if you are driving in extreme weather and bad road conditions because losing control of your vehicle can lead to a road accident.
7 Outcomes Of Using Underinfalted Tyres
Tyres are bouncy but the strongest part of your vehicle is handling the weight of your car while constantly battling heat, friction, rocks and other debris. Apart from the tyre shoulder, a tyre's secret power is its tyre pressure.
Without proper air pressure, your tyre can't function properly and is just a black rubber. Here are the possible consequences you can face if you drive on underinflated tyres.
Costly Repairs
Tyres which are underinflated can damage themselves as well as your vehicle. If your tyre has low air pressure then it can drag against the road and make your engine work hard to move your vehicle. Tyres work as shock absorbers but because of underinflation, it will strain your vehicle suspension system.
Other components of your vehicle may also suffer because of underinflation. It can affect the wheels, rotors and chassis which can be costly to repair and can burn a hole in your pocket.
Damaged Tyres
If your tyres have a low amount of air pressure, your tyre rubber will hit more the surface. This increases the road impact which can lead to premature wear and excess heat can even damage the tyre. In some rare cases if the tyres have low air pressure for long periods it can even blow out.
If you are driving your vehicle at a high speed and suddenly your tyre bursts, you will start losing control over your vehicle pulling to one side or spinning out of control and other terrible possibilities. So you need to avoid blowouts at all costs.
Less Fuel Economy
An ideal inflated tyres create road friction but when tyres are underinflated it creates more friction which creates a lot of pressure on your engine. The more friction your tyres create the more rolling resistance they will make, which causes your tyres to keep moving forward.
If your tyre creates more friction it puts more pressure on the tyres which can result in consuming more fuel. So you need to visit the petrol station more often to empty your wallet.
Unresponsive Ride
When your tyres respond quickly to all your demands it feels great. Underinflated tyres can affect the performance even when stopping, accelerating, steering and turning your vehicle. An unresponsive ride is not only frustrating but it can be unsafe as well.
Compromised Braking
If your vehicle takes a longer time to stop once you step on the brakes then it might happen because of low air pressure in your tyres. You need to pay more attention to brakes because it is a safety feature and if it has an issue it may not be safe for you and other passengers in your vehicle.
If you face this issue then immediately stop your vehicle and check the tyre pressure. If they are under pressure then reach to your nearest tyre shop or fill air using a potable tyre inflater. Without enough air pressure, your tyres can't grip the road and cause your vehicle to reduce in braking performance.
Faster Tyre Wear
Even though you bought yourself premium Car tyres Milton Keynes which offer more tread life and can last longer, still if your tyres are underinflated they will wear faster than normal. As wear tyres faster it can result in frequent punctures and failure.
Some other drawbacks of a worn tread tyre are aquaplaning on wet roads, higher risk of blowouts and legal issues as well if your tyres don't have sufficient tread depth. In in UK the minimum tread depth of tyres is 1.6mm.
