Tyres Fit for a Long Drive

School's out for the Summer is an imminent reality - we break up Friday 19th July - it's less than a month away. For us that means lots of exciting far flung road trips in the car , high adrenaline, high volume (my poor ears maybe those ear defenders from Monster Trucks will be useful) and lots of exploring. For Daddy that means checking that the car is indeed road worthy. Precious cargo don't you know!!

In our house the first point of call when getting ready for a long drive is always checking the tyres. Daddy literally will not get on the motorway without visiting the petrol station to check that each and every tyre is the correct pressure - he's got a real thing about it. Me on the other hand I'm only concerned with fuel: 

• are we fed before we leave? - tick
• are we hydrated before we leave? - tick
• have I packed food for everyone? - tick
• have I packed drinks for everyone? - tick
• has Daddy filled up? - tick

These checks are all things that have only become routine since becoming a parent, due to the fact that 100 yards down the road, shortly after leaving home, Aaron can always be heard to say "Mummy I'm hungry" and now of course, he has a sibling so I hear it in stereo sound with Lottie accompanying him. So yeah I think fuel, so I will be known to say to Daddy "have you filled up?" and I'll always be caught grumbling under my breath if he does so en route as I am a great believer in filling up the night before. I'm on my third decade now of telling him that.

The temperatures are changing and that can have an adverse effect on tyres, causing concern for road safety. There's only so much you can do with a worn tyre - checking the pressure won't fix a bald patch, which is illegal to drive with anyway. Yes, most of us have a spare, but once used, the spare also needs replacing and routinely so do any tyres. You know, no  matter how many miles you drive, even aging tyres can be of concern for that car that's only driven at weekends, even if the car hasn't undergone a great deal of mileage. On average tyres last 3 to 4 years. When we consider our response to a danger on the road we immediately think of braking but in reality besides the brakes themselves it is the tyres that enable the car to actually safely come to a halt. Worn tyres with low tread depth and uneven wear and rear can cause tyres to lose traction in braking causing the vehicle to lose control hindering the effectiveness of braking at all.

All this talk about driving reminds me of Terence's Driving School where Aaron got his first ever real feel of driving a vehicle. No wonder he adores Thomas Land so much - we've only been there about 8 times... just look at his adorable face. I think on visits before this one his feet used to struggle to reach the pedal.

We love nothing more than a day out at Thomas Land, Drayton Manor, and thankfully Lottie likes it there too. On the way to Birmingham from Bristol it's convenient to go via Northampton and visit friends en route, Northampton being the perfect spot to stop for tyres and other car services at Calmac Tyres Autocentre who have expert tyre technicians to ensure our family car is good to go for the remainder of the onward car journey. They stock many of the leading brands including Pirelli, Continental, Dunlop, Bridgestone and Michelin and Maxxis as well as excellent quality alternatives. Even our fussy Daddy will be impressed. No matter the make, model or tyre size they can help and the tyres can even be ordered online in advance for convenience. So the main priority is to keep Daddy smiling behind the wheel just like Aaron is above, so the rest of us can concentrate on having fun and being noisy without disturbing his sanity too much LOL. Roll on the 6 weeks Summer holidays and giving Daddy a few more grey hairs.

I'm actually grateful Daddy is so conscious of road safety and checking the tyres - tyres after all are the only thing that makes contact with the road and their responsiveness is EVERYTHING in a collision. Ultimately we can't control how those near us drive but we can ensure we're best placed to react accordingly to brake or get out of the way, should the worst happen. Wishing you all many safe journeys, lots of love, Liska

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