Money Talk
Consumer expert Sue Hayward’s savvy finance tips and advice
When was the last time you checked your tyres? We should do it at least once a month, and the scary news is that one in five motorists drive with dangerous tyres. Each illegal tyre can mean a £2,500 fine and three penalty points.
The average tyre clocks up 22,000 miles over its lifetime according to Goodyear. That’s just over two years average motoring – so it’s worth getting the best ones you can afford.
Sticking top of the range tyres on your old banger may seem a costly choice if you don’t drive further than the local shops. But on the flip side, fitting cheap budget tyres if you do a high mileage in all weathers isn’t a savvy move.
I’ve found a new independent tyre comparison site WWW.MOTOKIKI.COM which makes tyre shopping easier. Pop in your registration and it tells you the tyre size you need, along with local garages who’ll fit them plus prices. So you can choose the tyres you want, without any hard sell; book an appointment; pay upfront; and then bowl up to get the job done.
There’s lots of info on the website about how well the tyres will perform when it comes to fuel efficiency and wet conditions too.
Do steer clear of “part worn” tyres. They can seem a cheap option – and I did buy them for my first car when money was tight – but when it comes to safety, 98% of part-worn tyres were found to be illegal according to a recent TyreSafe campaign. So it’s just not worth it.