Drive Safely in London - Car Tyre Checklist for Holidays

As a vibrant and fast-moving city, London is an excellent place to spend your holiday whether you live close to it or are heading to the capital from another part of the country. However, public transport is not always a practical option for people who are bringing lots of things with them during their intended stay so driving is often favoured. Of course, some people are put off driving around the big city, not least because London has an often fearsome reputation for aggressive road users and widespread congestion. Although the capital is not as bad as all that – it is certainly easier to drive around than Rome or Paris, for example – there are challenges and many of them will take their toll on your car's tyres.

Firstly, there is often slow-moving traffic in central London. Areas like Whitechapel, in the East End, or Southwark, in South London, often get clogged up as people make their way in or out of central London during the rush hour. Even if you are using the capital's ring roads, such as the North Circular (A406), then you'll often run into traffic which rarely exceeds 20 mph, if that! Speeding up and slowing down grinds the tread on your tyres down. What's worse is the fact that you are often so close to the car in front when queueing that you cannot see the many potholes that exist in the city's trunk roads. If you hit a few of them, then further degradation to your tyres is inevitable.

                                                                               

London also has problems on its suburban roads. In order to stop so-called rat runs which bypass the trunk routes, many London Boroughs have installed speed bumps and other traffic calming measures which knock your car's tracking out of kilter. This will also cause your tyres to wear down quicker than they otherwise would. If you need to replace your tyres during your stay then remember that you can buy tyres in London from DAT Tyres' website which has plenty of options to suit all budgets.

Before you come to London with your car, ensure your tyres are in good condition with plenty of tyre tread and no damage to their sidewalls. You should ensure that your tyres are properly inflated and continue to pump them up throughout your time in the capital. Don't forget to check your spare tyre either, since you may need to use it if you are unlucky enough to run over some of the debris you will inevitably find in such a large city.

This is a collaborative post.