.jpg)
New Zealand car owners and drivers have been urged to make sure their cars are winter road safe.
A recent survey from Canstar Blue revealed that 17% of people admit to not checking their tyres while a further 38% don’t check their lights.
Canstar Blue PR manager Emma Quantrill stated that on wet, cold roads, it is necessary for drivers to check that their tyres are ‘fit to travel’, lights and indicators are working properly and windscreen wipers are clean.
“It can be easy to forget, or put off, conducting regular checks on our vehicles but ultimately it’s an essential part of keeping ourselves safe on the roads,” she said. “We spend a huge amount of time in our cars so even if your vehicle is relatively new, you will still need to check the tread and pressure of your tyres at the very least.”
Worryingly, Canstar said, 63% of drivers surveyed said they didn’t know for sure what the minimum tread is. Of those who said they did know, 15% got it wrong. The correct minimum tread for tyres in New Zealand is 1.5mm.
Quantrill noted that tyre pressure is also important as not only does it contribute to the safety of a vehicle, it can help with fuel economy too. To find out the correct pressure for tyres, car-owners can look for a sticker or plate on the edge of the driver’s door, fuel flap, or in the manufacturer’s handbook.
“Old car or new, your tyres need to be looked after,” she added.
