A combination of factors come together to make the summer months the worst for reported tyre-related incidents. The number one factor being summer in Britain doesn’t necessarily mean consistently good weather. When the dry roads become wet, the stopping distance of any vehicle becomes much longer. Add the hot conditions, which are making an impact on the roads conditions, and you have a recipe for potholes in the making.

Tyres on vans lead a hard life, carrying loads or doing multiple drops, often in tough working environments. Rough ground or repeated kerb scuffing can cause levels of damage and wear way beyond that of a car tyre. As a critical vehicle component, it’s essential to carry out regular checks on vans to make sure their tyres remain safe and legal.

Tyre safety importance for fleet operators

Fleet operators have a duty of care to their drivers and must ensure they are in a safe working environment, which includes the provision of safe and roadworthy vehicles. Neglect means the Health and Safety Offences Act can be used to prosecute your business with a maximum fine up to £20,000.

Equally van drivers have a duty of care to ensure their vehicle is safe and roadworthy. Drivers found to be driving on illegal tyres face personal fines of up to £2,500 and three penalty points for each unlawful tyre, irrespective of whether the van is company-owned or not.

Being tyre safe before any journey does not need to take long. Start with a visual check, looking at the overall condition of each tyre to see if anything might have penetrated the tread, such as nails or other objects. If any of these objects, cracks or bulges are present, the driver should seek immediate repair.

Build up pressure in tyres – not your businesss

The air pressure of each tyre should also be checked using an accurate gauge. Typically, van manufacturers recommend two different tyre pressures, one for light loads and another for when the vehicle is full. It’s essential that drivers adjust the pressures to accommodate the load they are carrying. These settings can be found in the vehicle handbook, and often in the vehicle’s fuel filler cap or door sill.

Under-inflated tyres will reduce your vehicle’s ability to grip the road, and will also compromise handling. This neglect can result in unpredictable vehicle behaviour and increases the risk of a tyre blowout, where sudden rapid deflation occurs.

Over-inflated tyres are dangerous, too, as they have a smaller contact area with the road, leading to increased stopping distance and reduced grip. There’s likely to be a lot more wear across the central part of the tyre, leading to a shorter lifespan.

Such simple checks could save your fleet the cost of an average tank of fuel because underinflated tyres wear more quickly and increase fuel consumption.

Save a fortune with just 20p

Finally, drivers should check the tread of their tyres to ensure they are above the UK legal tread depth minimum of 1.6mm. Ideally, an accurate tread depth gauge should be used, but if this is not available, a 20p coin is a useful guide. Insert the 20p into the main sections of the tyre and at various points around the circumference – should you see the outer rim at any point, you need to have the tread depth checked as it may be illegal.

By doing so, you’ll be giving all the safety systems on your vehicle the best chance of working to their maximum potential, and you’ll help ensure your tyres last longer, and you’ll be making sure your running costs don’t increase unnecessarily.

Summer vehicle health check

It is simple to join and free to register your vehicles, plus you get access to a network of garages that offer the best in terms of quality, standards, and customer service.

It may seem overwhelming having all these legal obligations to keep your vehicles in working order during the summer months, but you can rely on Fuel Card Services. We make the whole process of vehicle responsibility easier with MyService.Expert.

The benefits of joining MyService.Expert

At the moment, many are offering vehicle summer health check. This service can help ensure that your vehicles remain in the best possible condition. The technicians will be able to replenish oil, coolant and windscreen washer fluid. They will check any windscreen or car body points that need fixing. It also includes an air conditioning refresh, which removes any bacteria and associated unpleasant smells that can develop in the system.

Here is how it works: One of your vehicles is due for a service. MyService.Expert will send you an alert, then provide discounted costs from garages near you. You compare and select. We pay the garage and then invoice you. Easy.

Join for free and save 30% on tyres

The benefits of joining do not end there: Fuel Card Services’ partnership with these experts means you typically save 30% on work in comparison to going direct to a franchise dealer

There is no joining fee, and no minimum contract to register your vehicles online. Besides, there is no minimum number of cars, vans or HGVs that can you can add.

Simplify your vehicle maintenance by booking work via the online portal. Here you can job authorise and pre-negotiate discount rates that cover servicing, repairs and maintenance. It also includes tyre replacement or repairs

The costings are transparent, based upon thorough working knowledge and up-to-date automotive data. Plus all genuine parts and repairs are protected under warranty.

All costs need your online approval before work begins. Doing this action is smooth, MyService.Expert is accessible anywhere and at any time on a WiFi connected device

Just like your Fuel Card Services provides visible costings to keeping your business moving with fuel; think of MyService.Expert as your vehicle maintenance expense solution.

Visit MyService.Expert today or call 0844 134 0746