Tyre Safety from Tonbridge

With the inevitable end of summer 2014 approaching, September is bringing us some much cooler mornings and darker nights. Before long winter will be upon us – so the staff at our newest branch in Tonbridge, Kent, have been busy preparing for the effects of the cooler weather on our driving skills, cars and just as importantly the roads we use!

Despite the cool mornings, the recent early September weeks have given us some lovely warm dry days. These make ideal driving conditions for all road users, an ideal time to get outside at the weekend and even give your car a good check over externally as you treat it to a clean. But! As drivers in the Tonbridge area may have noticed, the effort made by local authorities to keep our roads in top condition has been far from easy this summer...

Kent highways chiefs have been hit hard with repair compensation bills as motorists in the area suffer damage from dreaded pot holes and poor road surfaces. In Tonbridge and Malling alone damage has cost the taxpayer £21,709 over the last two years*. Two exceptionally bad winters: one consisting of freezing temperatures and plenty of snow, and the other with driving rain and serious floods, have caused the roads in and around Tonbridge to quite literally disintegrate.

Pot holes – What’s the damage?

We all hit a bump in the road every now and again, so what’s the big deal? Poorly maintained roads, pot holes and stray debris can cause havoc with cars.

Your car’s tyres should be considered one of the most important elements when it comes to your safety whilst driving, even more so as the temperature drops and humidity sets in throughout autumn. After all they are the only thing between you, your passengers and a very fast moving road. 

Driving over poorly surfaced roads or pot holes can also have detrimental effects on the structure of your car. A small knock on a kerb, can knock out your cars tracking and wheel alignment; so a deep pot hole taken at speed is almost certain to cause problems to the not so obvious elements on your car.

Tardy Tyres...

Unfortunately we aren’t all in a position to spend our well earned cash on the best and most robust tyres on the market. Economy brands are becoming more and more popular as our nation become professionals at tightening the belt. This means it’s more important than ever to keep a check on our tyres. Try and have a good look at your tyres once a week; check for any lumps, cuts or bulges. Damage to the exterior of a tyre can affect the performance drastically. Grip, road holding and steering response can be influenced by a change in the shape and structure of a tyre, so for safety’s sake have your tyres checked if you are suspicious about any change in their appearance or structure. Find out more about Tyre Safety here. So if you’ve been hard hit by a pesky pot hole and your tyres are suffering as a result, let our expert staff at Tonbridge help out. Here at Setyres Tonbridge we aim to make purchasing the right tyres at the right price as simple as possible so buying your new tyres from Setyres couldn’t be easier. Our quick and reliable tyre fitting service ensures you can be back on the road as soon and as safe as possible. You can browse our huge range of tyres online here.

Poor Roads = Poorly Cars...

Wheel alignment ensures your car drives in a straight line and that the wheels are pointing in the right direction. It’s also part of the steering system on your car, so a pretty important feature to keep in check; it also contributes to tyre wear and fuel consumption. If you think those weather beaten roads may have had a knock on effect on the structure of your car let the staff at our Tonbridge branch use specialist equipment to measure and correct wheel alignment based on manufacturers specifications. Take a look at our Tracking page here to see how important it is to your car maintenance and safety and what to look out for when wheel alignment is knocked out of sync. If you’ve recently been subject to the pot hole problem here in Tonbridge, feel free call into the Tonbridge branch for a free assessment at a time that suits you! What's more! You can download our £5 off Wheel Adjustment voucher here to save on any work you may need on your vehicle.

Setyres Tonbridge can help!

It been great news to see how the local council is pouring their efforts into repairs and resurfacing in the county and gratefully this has been identified nationally. In June this year, the county of Kent was awarded £6.3 million from the Government’s Pot Hole Fund – the second highest outside of London as Kent has been regarded as a model authority in the way it has tackled the problem with the roads. In the first six months of 2014 Tonbridge and Malling had a total of 942 pot holes repaired.

If you spot a problem with the roads here in Tonbridge – Help out by pointing it out here! 

Here’s to the good work of our local authority in keeping our roads up to scratch, but in the short term let Setyres Tonbridge save you from any poor road or pot hole problems, big or small that you might encounter from our weather beaten British roads. Call the branch with any queries or questions you might have or drop into your nearest centre for advice and free checks.

 

*Local stats courtesy of: http://www.sevenoakschronicle.co.uk/Kent-Highways-hit-1-million-pothole/story-21746180-detail/story.html

Posted on: 18/09/2014

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