Worn summer tires are dangerous: Tens of thousands of families are redirecting their car holiday south to a Danish camping and holiday home idyll this year. However, it is still important to give the tires an extra check, even if the holiday takes place in Denmark, Michelin points out.
Closed borders send this year historically many families on holiday in the Danish summer country. Good for a pressured tourist industry and cottage renters who are feeling a huge demand right now. But even though the car holiday does not go south for safe sun and heat, it is still important to check the car and especially the tires before the trip to the North Sea and Bornholm, explains Claus Chouhan, sales director for Michelin in Denmark.
Worn summer tires are dangerous
Although we all hope for a bang of a summer this year, we also know that the Danish summer offers a bit of everything purely weather-wise. This also applies to rain and debris. So when you pack the car to the breaking point and the whole family sets off towards the Danish holiday destination, it is with an increased risk that you drive into bad weather and torrential rain. This places extra demands on the tires in particular, which must be in good condition to withstand aquaplaning, he says.
Aquaplaning takes place when there is so much water on the road surface that the tires lose contact with the asphalt. This creates a dangerous situation where the motorist actually loses control of the car. According to Claus Chouhan, one of the most crucial things in preventing aquaplaning is that the tires are always in good condition.
– Correct tire pressure and tread depth are crucial to counteract aquaplaning. Unfortunately, the car’s tires are notoriously low interest for many car owners and our motorist surveys show, among other things, that regular checking of tire pressure is far too rare. So many people drive around with too low tire pressure and it can be downright dangerous. Therefore, we take every opportunity to repeat the message that you should check tire pressure far more often than you think. Not least this year, it is an important message to get out to car owners before the holidays hit, he says.
Tests show an air pressure of 30 percent. below the recommended significantly increases the risk of aquaplaning. At the same time, it increases the wear of the tires and the braking distance becomes longer on both dry and wet roads. Michelin recommends in line with an FDM and Dækbranchen Danmark, that car owners check the tire pattern and tire pressure at least once a month.
The good tire advice for the summer holidays
Drive on summer tires in summer – never winter tires
Check tire pressure and adjust it to a car with full packing and a maximum number of passengers
Make sure that the most patterned tires are always mounted on the rear wheels. It prevents slipping
always check the tire for prevented damage before longer trips
Check the tread depth and never drive with tires that have 1 . 6 mm or less
Do you drive on quality tires or low-cost tires? Low-cost tires lose their good properties faster, especially on wet roads
