Potholes a nightmare for tyres

Midrand Tiger Wheel and Tyre marketing executive Joe du Plooy said, “Potholes are responsible for most of the tyre damage we see in our fitment centres. More often than not, hitting a pothole will result in tyre damage, even if it’s not visible to the untrained eye, it also causes damage to the wheel and even the vehicle.”

Du Plooy said the best way to survive pothole nightmares is to insure tyres. “That way you can rest assured that if you encounter the many potholes in Midrand you have a ready solution.”

“With the promise of summer rains, comes the assurance of more potholes and probability that potholes will catch motorists unaware. Most tyres are no match for a monstrous pothole and an inspection could reveal return internal damage or an impact fracture.”

Du Plooy’s tyre safety tips are:

•  Take note of the thread: the more worn your tyres the less traction and grip on the road. The legal thread depth limit in South Africa is a minimum of 1mm across the entire circumference of the tyre.
•  Under pressure: the right tyre pressure can be the difference between life and death. Each car comes with a recommended tyre pressure. Over-inflated tyres erode quickly at the centre while under-inflated tyres wear out on the outside quicker.
•  Spare tyre: before getting on the road check that you have a spare tyre. If you hit a pothole and the tyre bursts you will need a spare.
•  Replacing tyres: never replace just one tyre – don’t take shortcuts.