There are warning signs to look for and should get your attention so that you recognize when to replace the tyres on your car.

The following is a list of clues to look for:

• If you find cracks in your tyres they must be replaced as soon as possible.

• Tyres that are out of date can harden over time and this would cause your car to slip on certain kinds of road and cause an injury.

• It is possible to buy tyres with retreads but be aware that retreaded tyres lack the balance and security of new. So buying because they are cheap is not always the soundest. You may realize that the efficiency of your car is impaired, especially in bad weather and is not clentching the road as well as it ought to.

• The tread on your tyres is worn beneath the legal minimum limit of 1.6mm.

• If the tread of the tyre is worn down the middle of the tyre this may be because at some point the tyres have been over inflated.

• Wear on the surface edges, sometimes brought on by under inflating your tyres should also be replaced as it causes problems on the inner liner as well.

• Deterioration can sometimes be brought on to a tyre resulting in a bulge, often referred to as an egg in the tyre.

• There may be cuts in the tyres usually caused by sharp objects.

• There may be parts of the tyre with no tread at all, this would be brought about by unexpected braking, sometimes also causing the tyre to deflate.

• There may be wear on the exterior edge of the tyre caused by extreme wheel camber.

• If the border of the tread has been worn progressively from one side to the other, this may be caused by the front wheels being out of position.

• It is inevitable that at times sharp objects go into tyres, more often than not nails. This too would be occasion for a tyre to be changed particularly if there is a hissing noise coming from it when you try to pull it out. It is best to drive the nail back in at this point and go and get it looked at asap.

Tyres should be tested once a week, to make sure that they are well maintained giving them a lengthier life.