Regularly examine your tyres for bumps, bulges, cuts, cracks, tread wear and for any foreign objects embedded in your tyres. Look at your sidewalls, for deeply scuffed or worn areas and small slits or holes. If in doubt, have it checked by a Tekapo Auto mechanic.

Most car tyres have tread-wear indicators built into them. These bars of hard rubber are normally difficult to see in a new tyre but appear across treads that have been worn down to 1.5mm of the tyre tread base (the legal limit). If these indicators appear in two or three different places, less than 120 degrees apart on the circumference of the tyre, replace the tyre. Snow or winter tyres legally must have 4.0mm of tread depth and be a matched set.

One easy way to check the life of your tyre tread is to insert a New Zealand 20-cent coin into the tread. The base of the number “20” is approximately 2mm from the edge of the coin. That means, if you can see the whole of the number, your tyres are reaching the end of their life and it’s time to think about replacing them.

Correct tyre pressure is vital for balanced braking, maximum grip and maximum tyre life – and can improve fuel economy. Recommended pressure varies for each vehicle, and according to load or speed; check with your vehicle handbook, or online. Also, make sure your car is cold when you check tyre pressure to ensure the tyres haven’t expanded after use.