Tyres keep the car on the ground. The importance of good tyre should never be discounted. Even with top‐notch safety features in place motor accidents can occur if not for a good set of wheels. There is no shortcut around this. Get your tyres changed!
1. Bald tyres can overheat
Tyres that are worn down too much are called bald tyres. Bald tyres have a very little tread left on its circumference. As a result, the rubber of the bald tyre is constantly in contact with the asphalt. This causes relatively more heat build‐up compared to a tyre with good groove depth. A new tyre would have grooves to let the air course through. This cools the tyre. Since a worn‐down tyre does not have treads heat would build up and eventually the tyre can blow out.
2. More likely to puncture
The tread of half worn out or bald tyre would be eroded. Because of this, there is only a little rubber left to act as a buffer between the tyre and the roadway. Running over a
bit of glass or any sharp‐edged debris is going to leave you with a flat tyre. Unexpected burst tyre in the middle of driving can potentially cause in a single‐vehicle collision.
3. There is the risk of hydroplaning
Tread patterns or grooves are designed to prevent hydroplaning. Hydroplaning or aquaplaning is when there is a layer of water beneath the tyre. In half‐worn tyres or in bald tyres grooves are worn out making it difficult for water to flow out from under the tyre. Hydroplaning causes the vehicle to slide through the water on the surface of the road. When this happens the driver might lose control over the vehicle.
4. Tyre wear and under‐inflation
Worn out tyres lose air pressure faster making them under‐inflated. Underinflation further wears down the tyres and thus a vicious cycle ensues. Half‐worn or bald tyres when under‐inflated can cause serious problems to the motorists. With a lower tyre pressure also comes lesser fuel economy. You are likely to experience difficulty in steering. There is also a bigger chance of ending up with a busted tyre.
5. Bald tyres put you at the risk of a tyre burst
Without treads, there is a risk of tyres suddenly blowing out while driving. In a bald tyre, the rubber is more in contact with the asphalt. This would cause the tyres to accumulate more heat and burst. You become more vulnerable if you are driving briskly. Debris from the road can damage a bald tyre more than a new tyre causing the tyre to rupture.
6. Takes longer to brake in the rain
On wet roads, worn‐out tyres take significantly longer to come to a stop once the brake is applied. This was observed even in cars with an anti‐lock braking system (ABS). Taking longer and farther to halt after hitting the brake can even result in a vehicle collision.