• Get your lights checked. Make sure they’re clean, replace bulbs that are discoloured or not working. Are
  they correctly adjusted? Uneven headlights are dangerous for both you and oncoming traffic.
• Windscreen. Clean your windscreen both inside and out, to avoid glare at night. Also check that your wipers are up to the job. They are vital for your safety and inexpensive to replace.
• Have an emergency kit in the boot. A torch, hi-vis vest, a hazard warning triangle to warn other road users,
  jump leads, a tow rope, and gloves. Breaking down is never fun but breaking down on a dark road is a lot
  worse!
• Who you gonna call? This one may seem obvious but always have your mobile phone fully charged before
  you go on a journey, especially in the dark.

Safe motoring!

The post Top tips for driving in the dark appeared first on Tyreaware.

These trips and holidays help to create lasting memories, so why not get the kids to make albums or scrapbooks to record the journeys.

Gather souvenirs from places you visit- a card from a restaurant, fliers from attractions, shells, crayon rubbings, interesting stones etc. Budding artists can draw pictures along the way and take a photo to add to the collection (selfie, anyone)?

Bring a freezer bag with safety scissors, a glue stick or tape and some crayons and coloured paper. Euro shops are great for picking up these sorts of things without breaking the bank.

Have a secret stash of car only toys–  a shoebox can double as storage and a play area on the lid. You could even draw a little road on it for backseat drivers or a castle for your princesses. Having a soccer ball in the
boot is always a good idea to help burn off some of that pent-up energy.

Prizes for games
A trip to the euro shop can be an excellent idea before you go, wrap up a few inexpensive toys or stationery to use as rewards or prizes for games, eye spy, spot a white horse, a pink car etc. Challenge the kids to keep quiet for 5 whole minutes to win a prize.

Mom or Dad’s phone
If, like ours, your little ones usually want your phone rather than the countless toys surrounding them, have a new game or app downloaded and ready to go, set them a time limit with the phone and enjoy the peace and
quiet.

Audiobooks can be a great way to introduce a bit of learning or just simple entertainment in the car. Everyone can listen together or individually if you can get away with it!

A whiteboard can be one of the best and simplest things. Kids can draw on them, play noughts and crosses, hangman, write each other notes etc. Don’t forget to give them a tissue to wipe it with.

Car Counting or even tractor spotting – Pick a colour or a type and the first to see 10 of them wins. If you’re in a city they could search for restaurants, men with beards, umbrellas, the list goes on and on!

Name Game – Think of any celebrity, sports star etc, let’s say Katy Perry, it can be anyone. You say “Katy Perry” the next person must quickly say a celebrity’s name that starts with the first letter of the last name of the
previous star, like maybe Paul Mescal.

Scavenger Hunt – No family road trip is complete without a scavenger hunt. You’ll be surprised at how excited your kids suddenly are to see a billboard or a water tower. Think of about 10 or 15 things they need to spot.

Restaurant entertainment bag- Put crayons, pencils, and colouring books or paper and some plastic animals, cars, or blocks in a large freezer bag that you can take into restaurants with you to make wait time go faster.

Involve the kids in decision making – of course you’ve chosen the destination, but the children might like to decide on other important things like what snacks to bring, what should we listen to in the car etc.

Stretch the legs! If possible, stop for a few minutes every 2 hours, this will keep the driver alert and (hopefully) head off any travel sickness and irritability. It’s a good chance to grab a coffee and a bathroom break too. Really try to allow time for this, it can be a lifesaver.

Pack plenty of healthy snacks for the journey, even adults get cranky when they are hungry. Water in individual bottles, low sugar juices or even smoothies, milky drinks are in our experience best avoided in case of spillage. Foodwise, fruit would be top of our list, also cheese portions, crisps, homemade cookies and the good old sandwich (even get the kids involved the day before preparing these), don’t forget a bag to gather up the rubbish.

Think ahead in case somebody gets car sick or headaches- pack remedies for common sicknesses, a plastic bag or two in case of nausea, baby wipes and a bottle of Calpol or whatever you use for your family.

Finally, please check that your car (especially tyres) is roadworthy and safe, or better yet, call in and let us check for you.

The post Top tips for happier family car journeys appeared first on Tyreaware.

Incorrectly inflated tyres lead to:

• Reduced fuel efficiency: When tyres are under-inflated, their rolling resistance increases. This means it takes more energy or fuel to make them turn. Think about how difficult it is to ride your bicycle with under-inflated tyres!

• Increased safety risks: Incorrectly inflated tyres affect vehicle handling, cornering, acceleration, braking, and wet grip. Under-inflated tyres are more likely to suffer from a dangerous blowout.

• Increased tyre wear: When a tyre is under-inflated, its contact patch with the road is concentrated towards the outer edges of the tread. This leads to rapid wear on the shoulders and reduced tyre life.

• Overinflated tyres also wear unevenly, have less grip on the road and can affect braking ability.

We recommend checking your tyre pressure once a month, or call in to TyreAware in Ballinderreen and we’ll do it for you.

The post Why we recommend regular tyre pressure checks appeared first on Tyreaware.

The tyres can’t grip the road, this causes a lack of traction which means the driver loses control and is unable to steer, brake or accelerate.

How do you know if you’re aquaplaning?

When driving on a wet road you might:

• Hear your engine suddenly become louder
• Feel like you’ve dropped the clutch down the gears while driving at speed, causing the revs to increase
• Feel the steering become light
• Experience the back end of the car drifting from side to side – known as “fishtailing”

What to do if you find yourself aquaplaning:

• Don’t hit the brakes hard
  Gently ease off the accelerator
• Hold the steering wheel straight
• Switch off cruise control mode if you have it on
• When the car begins to gain control, you can begin to brake to bring your speed down.
• The better condition your tyres are in, the better your car will cope with wet conditions. Please check your
  tread depth regularly or call in to us in Ballinderreen where we’ll happily check for you.

The post What is Aquaplaning, and what to do if it happens to you. appeared first on Tyreaware.

Your car will tend to weave about, especially at speeds over 80kmph. The best action is to hold the steering wheel firmly and let the car slow down by itself.

Your immediate instinct might be to brake, but if the car is starting to move sideways braking will make matters worse- causing the car to spin. Sudden braking is the single worst thing that you can do if a tyre blows out.

Keep looking ahead and turn your steering wheel to keep in a straight line. Maintain momentum by accelerating and then ease off the accelerator to slow down. Accelerating is not done to speed the car up, simply to maintain momentum and minimise the risk and effect of a side slide. Changing to a lower gear might help in a front wheel drive car if you can control the steering with one hand.

Action for front tyre blowouts

Front tyre punctures will cause the car to pull heavily to one side. Steer firmly to correct the pull.

Leave the foot brake alone, if there is space ahead, concentrate on steering and allow the car to lose speed naturally. If you use the foot brake after gaining initial control, be very gentle.

Pulling the parking brake on and off repeatedly can help you to slow down but care must be taken not to lock the back wheels because this could cause the car to pivot around the damaged wheel and spin. Your main aim is to keep the car on course and lose speed naturally.

Burst tyres are dead. You can drive very slowly to a safe place but do not attempt to go any further than is absolutely necessary.

Repairable punctures can turn into irreparable tyres if you drive on them. Read your car’s handbook for information about jacking your car safely and changing a wheel. If you have a space-saver spare tyre, keep your speed down – your car will not be as stable as with the full-size tyre.

Please check your tyre regularly for both pressure and condition, or call into TyreAware for a free tyre safety check!

The post What to do if you have a tyre blowout appeared first on Tyreaware.

These trips and holidays help to create lasting memories, so why not get the kids to make albums or scrapbooks to record the journeys.

Gather souvenirs from places you visit- a card from a restaurant, fliers from attractions, shells, crayon rubbings, interesting stones etc. Budding artists can draw pictures along the way and take a photo to add to the collection (selfie, anyone)?

Bring a freezer bag with safety scissors, a glue stick or tape and some crayons and coloured paper. Euro shops are great for picking up these sorts of things without breaking the bank.

Have a secret stash of car only toys–  a shoebox can double as storage and a play area on the lid. You could even draw a little road on it for backseat drivers or a castle for your princesses. Having a soccer ball in the
boot is always a good idea to help burn off some of that pent-up energy.

Prizes for games
A trip to the euro shop can be an excellent idea before you go, wrap up a few inexpensive toys or stationery to use as rewards or prizes for games, eye spy, spot a white horse, a pink car etc. Challenge the kids to keep quiet for 5 whole minutes to win a prize.

Mom or Dad’s phone
If, like ours, your little ones usually want your phone rather than the countless toys surrounding them, have a new game or app downloaded and ready to go, set them a time limit with the phone and enjoy the peace and
quiet.

Audiobooks can be a great way to introduce a bit of learning or just simple entertainment in the car. Everyone can listen together or individually if you can get away with it!

A whiteboard can be one of the best and simplest things. Kids can draw on them, play noughts and crosses, hangman, write each other notes etc. Don’t forget to give them a tissue to wipe it with.

Car Counting or even tractor spotting – Pick a colour or a type and the first to see 10 of them wins. If you’re in a city they could search for restaurants, men with beards, umbrellas, the list goes on and on!

Name Game – Think of any celebrity, sports star etc, let’s say Katy Perry, it can be anyone. You say “Katy Perry” the next person must quickly say a celebrity’s name that starts with the first letter of the last name of the
previous star, like maybe Paul Mescal.

Scavenger Hunt – No family road trip is complete without a scavenger hunt. You’ll be surprised at how excited your kids suddenly are to see a billboard or a water tower. Think of about 10 or 15 things they need to spot.

Restaurant entertainment bag- Put crayons, pencils, and colouring books or paper and some plastic animals, cars, or blocks in a large freezer bag that you can take into restaurants with you to make wait time go faster.

Involve the kids in decision making – of course you’ve chosen the destination, but the children might like to decide on other important things like what snacks to bring, what should we listen to in the car etc.

Stretch the legs! If possible, stop for a few minutes every 2 hours, this will keep the driver alert and (hopefully) head off any travel sickness and irritability. It’s a good chance to grab a coffee and a bathroom break too. Really try to allow time for this, it can be a lifesaver.

Pack plenty of healthy snacks for the journey, even adults get cranky when they are hungry. Water in individual bottles, low sugar juices or even smoothies, milky drinks are in our experience best avoided in case of spillage. Foodwise, fruit would be top of our list, also cheese portions, crisps, homemade cookies and the good old sandwich (even get the kids involved the day before preparing these), don’t forget a bag to gather up the rubbish.

Think ahead in case somebody gets car sick or headaches- pack remedies for common sicknesses, a plastic bag or two in case of nausea, baby wipes and a bottle of Calpol or whatever you use for your family.

Finally, please check that your car (especially tyres) is roadworthy and safe, or better yet, call in and let us check for you.

The post Top tips for happier family car journeys appeared first on Tyreaware.