Published: 17/07/2022
Tyres aren’t cheap and they are vital for your safety and fuel efficiency, so think about them and save some money.
The type of tyre you buy makes a big difference. It may be tempting to go for the cheapest available, but that can prove to be a costly mistake in the long run.
Not only do such tyres not perform as well as more expensive tyres (tests show they often increase stopping distances and have a negative effect on handling), but they may also reduce your fuel economy and need replacing more regularly.
Something not many people know to look for, is the tyre's EU tyre label. All tyres sold are fitted with one and it includes the fuel efficiency rating of the tyre.
An ‘A’ tyre rating means the tyre decreases the energy lost through the tyre (often referred to as ‘low rolling resistance’), while a G rating is the worst performing - resulting in increased fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Which?’s research found that a good quality ‘eco’ or ‘energy saver’ tyre could improve fuel economy by around 2.5mpg compared with the worst tyre for rolling resistance.
That could slash more than £100 off your yearly fuel bill, helping to offset the cost of buying good quality, premium brand tyres.
It’s a simple check can save you cash.
Doing it at the filling station may cost you 50p or £1, but the savings soon add up.
You could also buy an electric pump and check and inflate yourself, rather than go to a garage.
- a difference you may not notice from a visual glance, tyres under inflated by 15psi - can use 6% more fuel!
That’s the difference between averaging 40mpg and 42mpg.
As prices are rising quickly, the savings can be enormous! Put another way, it’s an additional 26 miles from a 60-litre tank of fuel.
Find out how to check your tyres.
As many as one in 10 mechanical failures in the UK may be caused by potholes, costing motorists an estimated £730 million every year and pothole-related breakdowns have increased this year despite the mild weather, so your chances of falling victim to pothole damage are relatively high.
You may be able to claim compensation if a pothole causes damage to your car.
Being successful, however, will significantly depend on whether the pothole has already been reported as councils cannot be held liable for a defect they aren’t aware of. A great cop-out!
So, it's worth being part of the solution and reporting them when you see them in the first place, which you can do remotely on your mobile using the RAC’s handy pothole reporting tool.
In 2016, local councils were forced to spend £102 million repairing 1.7 million potholes, with the average hole in the road costing an estimated £49 to fill.
Find out more about making a claim.