3 mistakes drivers make that wear out their tyres in South Africa

Tyre maintenance is a crucial aspect of owning a car that most drivers tend to neglect in South Africa.

A tyre in poor condition can lead to a blowout and a potentially catastrophic accident, but there are also more subtle ways that badly maintained tyres can impact your driving experience, including ride quality and fuel efficiency.

All of this is as relevant as ever, now that the holidays are officially over and the roads are packed with commuters travelling to work and to drop their kids off at school.

Dunlop South Africa recently called upon parents, guardians, scholar transports, and other motorists to prioritise safety on the roads by following the “ABCs” of tyre care.

“Road safety starts long before the school bell rings,” said Keith Phelps, technical tyre expert at Dunlop Tyres SA.

“Tyre checks are quick, easy, and one of the most effective ways to protect your family on the road. The ABC of tyre care gives every parent a clear, memorable way to keep their vehicles safe and school-run ready.”

3 things to watch out for

Dunlop’s “ABCs” of tyre care starts with Air Pressure (tyre pressure), which is something that motorists check far too infrequently.

“Correct tyre pressure is essential for safe handling, braking, and fuel efficiency,” it said.

A tyre with low pressure will result in increased friction with the road surface, which can impact the car’s handling and performance and leads to drag that can raise your fuel consumption.

Motorists are advised to check their tyre pressure weekly, including the spare.

“Under-inflation is one of the leading causes of tyre failure. Under-inflated tyres are one of the biggest contributing factors for aquaplaning occurring on wet road surfaces,” said Dunlop.

The second factor to keep in mind is Balance and Alignment.

Proper wheel alignment is vitally important for a vehicle’s handling, and it also ensures that each of the tyres wear at an even rate.

A car’s wheel alignment can be damaged when hitting a pothole, and can lead to unpredictable steering and longer stopping distances.

“Proper wheel balancing and alignment ensures that your tyres wear evenly and your vehicle stays stable on the road – especially important during the busy school commute.”

“Misalignment can cause unpredictable steering and longer stopping distances, creating unnecessary hazards on the road.”

The “C” in ABC stands for condition, which refers to how worn the tyres are.

Again, this is something that motorists should regularly check, as tyres wear out over time and at different rates.

Car owners should check the tread depth, which should be at around 1.6mm, according to Dunlop.

As tyres get older, the tread pattern starts to fade, resulting in a smoother surface that doesn’t provide as much grip.

One factor to bear in mind is that the tyres on the driving wheels tend to wear out faster than the others.

This means that if you have a front-wheel-drive car, you should ideally swap the front and rear tyres once every few months to ensure that they wear out at roughly the same rate.

Otherwise, you will likely need to buy a pair of replacement tyres for the driving axle much sooner than expected.