Stopping Distance: The Role Tyres Play

Posted by Easington Service Station on August 9th, 2019

Urban life is stressful. We all have tight schedules and (mostly) no time for ourselves. When was the last time you stopped and looked at yourself? When was the last time you were in the moment? When was the last time you felt each breath or the blinking of your eyes? Moments like these are precious.

Moments when you have the time to just feel and experience. What if one day, over a weekend, you are home and trying to sleep because you are tired, but you cannot? You decide to skip the sleep because you require time with your loved ones.

The plan is to go out for a drive, listening to songs, and having a good conversation. The plan is to feel bliss. You drive, listening to your favourite song, enjoying the moment with people who are special to you.

Isn’t it for moments like these that we work so hard? However, as you experience bliss, there is always a possibility for a drastic shift in the narrative. What if (out of nowhere) a child comes in front of your car? What if a street animal is crossing the road? The moments of bliss will turn into a guilt trip if an accident takes place.

This article is all about avoiding such an accident so that you can enjoy a good drive without any stress. Whenever something suddenly comes in front of your vehicle, you pull the brakes and try to stop. In this situation, there are three factors that determine the ‘stopping distance’ of your car. One, the time you take to react.

Two, the capacity of your braking system. Three, the tyres. This article aims to discuss the role tyres play in determining the stopping distance of your car.

Tyre Wear

Multiple factors influence the overall performance of a tyre. One such factor is tyre wear. The question is, how does tyre wear affect the stopping distance of your vehicle? Tyre wear mainly refers to the decreasing tyre tread depth.

The tread depth (along with the tread design) determines how well the tyre can take a grip of the road. For example, a tyre with the tread depth of 8mm will have a better grip in comparison to a tyre with the tread depth of 3mm. The stopping distance is directly proportional to the grip a tyre is providing. Therefore, a tyre with more tread depth will provide shorter stopping distance.

Tyre Pressure

The second factor (with regard to tyres) that affects the stopping distance of a vehicle is tyre pressure. For various reasons, it is imperative for the tyre pressure to be as per the manufacturer’s specifications. What if the tyres are underinflated or overinflated? Both of these circumstances affect tyre wear, and in turn, the stopping distance. How?

In either case, the contact patch of tyre is influenced. Hence, the tyre wear is uneven. In the case of underinflated tyres, the edges of the tyre would touch the road, and in turn, wear more. Whereas in the case of overinflated tyres, the centre of the tyre would touch the road, and in turn, wear more. The stopping distance is affected because uneven wear would lessen the grip a tyre provides.

Premium vs Budget

Another thing that needs to be discussed is that which tyres perform better in terms of stopping distance? To understand this, it is imperative that we first understand what the major difference between premium tyres and budget tyres is.

Tyres are made of rubber. It is because the rubber provides ‘traction’ or grip. The rubber compound from which premium tyres are made provide better traction in comparison to the rubber compound from which budget tyres are made. The major difference is of ‘quality’. Overall, premium tyres (because they provide better grip) would ensure shorter stopping distance.

Easington Service Station is determined to make car rides safer and better. That is why we offer premium Tyres Lingdale. You can visit our website to use the special wheel finder tool to browse through tyres with the specifications of your choice. We have Tyres Boosbeck from premium brands like Nexen, Continental, Bridgestone, and Dunlop. For more information, visit our website.