Good quality, well fitted tyres should last, but there are certain avoidable elements that can conspire to reduce the life of your tyres. Road conditions, bad driving habits and even mechanical errors can all contribute to wear out your tyres ahead of their normal lifespan, costing you money and inconvenience in having to replace them early.

If you want to get the best out of your tyres and save money on fuel and tyre replacement, then follow these guidelines:

• Misaligned wheels are a common reason for uneven wear on tyres, or one tyre wearing out before the others. Easy to check and fix at your local Grippy garage, getting this sorted can be a good first step to longer-lasting tyres.
• Well-inflated tyres are a major factor in the life of your tyres – over or under-inflated can affect your handling, breaking and the wear of your tread. Check your user manual for the correct inflation for the season and the load your vehicle carries. Check your inflation regularly, and especially before and after a long journey.
• Wheel balancing can also smooth out any minor issues with your drive, and improve grip and tyre life.
• Check your shock absorbers, too, as this can affect the efficiency of your tyres.
• Drive smoooooothly. Braking too hard, cornering at high speed and accelerating aggressively are sure ways to torture your poor tyres. As will driving too fast over potholes and speed bumps. We can’t always avoid bad-condition roads but we can drive sensibly on them.
• Speaking of speed bumps, never straddle them – you may bump your suspension out of alignment. Approach at an angle, with one side only to avoid damage to the underside of your vehicle.
• Avoid mounting the curb if at all possible. Of course sometimes it’s the only way to park on a narrow street, but bumping that curb can do real damage to your tyre edges.