This post contains affiliate links for which I may make a small commission to help keep the site running. You will not be charged extra for these items had you not clicked the links. Thank you for your help to keep the site running!
Family holidays are exciting, but let’s be honest, they can also be slightly chaotic. Between packing cases, remembering chargers, finding passports, organising snacks for the journey and trying not to forget anyone’s favourite teddy, it’s easy for a few things to slip through the cracks.
One thing that’s often overlooked until the last minute is the car itself. Yet when you’re relying on it to get the whole family somewhere safely, spending ten minutes checking the tyres beforehand can save a lot of stress once you’re actually on the road. If the car tyres are looking worn, get booked in at Dexel Tyre & Auto Centre before the next family trip and drive away with complete peace of mind — because the only thing everyone should be focused on once you’re on the road is making memories together.
Here are seven simple tyre checks worth making before setting off.
Check the Tyre Pressure
Holiday packing usually means extra passengers, more luggage and plenty of things squeezed into the boot, and all that extra weight affects how the tyres perform. Running on underinflated car tyres affects handling, increases fuel consumption, and accelerates wear, none of which you want on a long motorway drive.
The recommended pressure for your car is on a sticker inside the driver’s door frame or in the owner’s manual, and there’s often a separate recommendation for carrying heavier loads. Checking and adjusting pressure takes about three minutes at any petrol station and is one of the more impactful things you can do before a longer trip.
Take a Good Look at the Tread
Good tread depth on car tyres helps maintain grip, particularly during heavy summer showers that seem to arrive just when everyone has finally settled into the drive. The legal minimum in the UK is 1.6mm, but many drivers prefer to replace tyres before reaching that point, especially before a longer journey.
The easiest way to check at home is the 20p test. Press a 20p coin into the main tread groove; if the outer band is visible, the tread is getting low and worth having assessed before you leave. Do this on all four tyres, not just the ones you can see from the driveway.
Check the Sidewalls for Cuts or Bulges
Tyres put up with a lot throughout the year. Potholes, kerbs, uneven roads and the occasional forgotten speed bump can all leave their mark, and not always on the tread.
Before setting off, walk around the car and check the sidewalls for cuts, cracks, or any bulging. A bulge is worth taking seriously; it indicates internal structural damage, usually from a significant impact, and a tyre in that condition shouldn’t be relied on for a long motorway drive even if it’s still holding pressure. Small issues are much easier to deal with on the driveway than on the hard shoulder.
Don’t Forget the Spare Tyre
Many people carefully inspect the four tyres on the car but forget about the one hidden underneath the boot floor. If the car carries a spare wheel, checking its pressure and condition takes only a few moments and can make a significant difference if something goes wrong unexpectedly miles from home.
If the vehicle uses a repair kit instead of a spare, make sure everything is present, accessible, and within date, it’s far better to discover an expired canister at home than at the roadside.
Watch for Uneven Wear
Uneven tyre wear often points to something worth investigating. Excessive wear on one edge of the tyre may indicate that the wheel alignment needs attention, or that pressures haven’t been quite right for some time. Either way it’s worth getting checked before heading off on a long journey.
If uneven wear is spotted, it’s sensible to book a professional inspection rather than simply replacing the tyres, as fitting new car tyres without addressing the underlying cause means the same pattern repeats on the new set.
Think About How Old the Tyres Are
Age matters just as much as mileage. Even when tread depth still looks reasonable, rubber degrades over time, most manufacturers recommend replacing tyres after five to six years regardless of how they look.
The manufacture date is printed on the sidewall as a four-digit code. The first two digits are the week, the last two are the year. If the tyres are several years old and haven’t been inspected recently, having the car tyres checked professionally before relying on them for hundreds of holiday miles is a sensible step.
Check for Any Embedded Objects
Nails, screws, and small pieces of debris can sit in a tyre for a surprisingly long time causing a slow puncture without being immediately obvious. A quick look across the tread surface of each tyre before the trip can catch something that would otherwise only make itself known at an inconvenient moment.
If anything is spotted embedded in the tread, don’t remove it, that can cause the tyre to deflate quickly. Get it checked by a professional instead. The best holidays are the ones where the biggest worry is deciding who gets the window seat. Spending a few minutes on a pre-trip check might not be the most exciting part of preparing for a family getaway, but it can make the journey far smoother.