How long do tyres last?
Why is it important to make tyres last ?
There are two main reasons why you should make your tyres last as long as their performance allows.
1 - To preserve the environment
By preserving the longevity of your tyres, you change them less often, which reduces the impact on our planet.
2 - To avoid unnecessary expenses
Replacing your tyres too early means incurring greater expenses than they would otherwise have been. By letting them last until the end, you limit the budget allocated to your vehicle.
How to avoid premature wear of your tyres?
A tyre is subject to inevitable wear and tear over time and miles, but this can be accelerated if you don't take certain precautions.
Check your tyre pressure regularly
Under-inflated tyres cause premature tyre wear. As a tyre naturally loses some air over time, we recommend checking the pressure once a month for fitted tyres (and once a year for the spare).
In addition to tyre wear, driving on under-inflated tyres means extra fuel costs as your vehicle consumes more fuel.
Over-inflated tyres are also prone to premature wear. This is why it is important to adjust your tyre pressure according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
Know more about how to check tyre pressure.
Avoid shocks
When you drive over a kerb, through a hole or over a speed bump, it causes a shock that can accelerate the wear of your tyres.
In fact, a shock to one or more tyres can cause your vehicle's geometry to go out of alignment. The consequence? Irregular wear of your tyres which will require premature replacement.
Store your summer/winter tyres properly
If you alternate between summer and winter tyres, it is important that your unused tyres are stored in a clean, airy place, protected from the weather to preserve them.
Extreme temperatures also affect the ageing of rubber. Instead of exposing them to temperatures that are too hot or too cold, choose a temperate place, away from direct sunlight.
When should you have your tyres checked?
If you notice abnormal wear
Do you notice that your tyres show more wear on one side of the tread? Only in the centre? Or only on the shoulders of the tyre? Do you see repeated facet wear?
Get the tyre checked quickly to fix the problem before it gets worse.
From 5 years of use
In 5 years, your tyres will probably have been run over many different surfaces and perhaps have suffered shocks. After 5 years of use, have them checked by a professional at least once a year. This will ensure that they have not been damaged prematurely and that they do not endanger you or your passengers.
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Tyre DOT: how to check the age of a tyre?
Your tyres have a « Tyre DOT » marking which indicates, by a code, their date of manufacture. This code is made up of 4 digits, the first two designate the week and the next two the year of manufacture. With this information, you can find out whether your tyres have passed the 5-year mark or not.
At the end of the tyre DOT, the tyre age code indicates that it was manufactured in the 47th week of the year 2014
Tyre age restrictions: the 10-year threshold
If the tyres have not been replaced 10 years after their date of manufacture, Michelin recommends replacing them with new tyres as a precaution. This recommendation also applies to spare tyres.
The wear indicator threshold
Legislation states that a tyre should be changed when the tread is less than 1.6mm high. This threshold is indicated on your tyres by tread indicators, small raised areas between the treads that measure this height precisely.
They indicate that the tyre needs to be changed when the tread height has fallen to the level of the wear indicators. On MICHELIN tyres, small bumps are visible on the shoulder of the tyre to help you locate the wear indicators on the tread.
Choose tyres that perform until the last mile
The last mile? That's when your tyre's tread will have actually reached the wear indicator threshold.
All MICHELIN ranges are designed to combine an excellent longevity and an excellent level of performance until the last mile.
As an example, with our MICHELIN Primacy4, MICHELIN CrossClimate2 and MICHELIN Alpin6 ranges, we provide drivers with optimum safety right up to the very last mile.
Why do we do this? Because these new generations of tyres have an evolving tread pattern that allows the tyre to maintain its performance right to the end, even when worn.
They prevent aquaplaning even with heavy wear
To avoid aquaplaning (loss of control when driving on a wet road), water must be stored in the treads of the tyre before it is drained off at the rear and sides.
As the tyre wears, there are fewer raised treads and therefore fewer places to store water. In this case, the tyre rises with a layer of water between the tyre and the road. This results in a loss of grip and therefore a loss of stability and control.
Michelin's evolving tread pattern ensures that the tyre continues to store and evacuate water correctly until the end of the tyre's life, thus avoiding the phenomenon of aquaplaning.
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