Cardiff is the capital of Wales and it is a surprisingly modern city – surprising to those who have not visited before, that is. If you are looking for new destinations into which to expand your business, why not scope it out beforehand by taking the family on a Cardiff holiday?

It’s a great place to visit being on the coast, home to some wonderful attractions and, of late, has become something of a cult visitors’ destination thanks to the filming of the new (well, since 2005) series of Doctor Who, with Whovians of all ages and nationalities now including Cardiff on their itinerary in the hope of catching a glimpse of that evocative and instantly familiar blue police box. But before you get there, you should first make sure your car is in great condition to travel – the odds of the Doctor coming along to rescue you are low, sadly! Here’s a complete car tyre care checklist for you to run through to ensure you enjoy a stress-free vacation!

General Condition: Keep an eye on the condition of your tyres so that you know what your tyres look like when they are properly fitted and working well. In this way, you will quickly recognise when a problem is beginning to appear, and can take prompt steps to have the issue remedied at your earliest convenience. Often, acting on the first signs of a problem can mean that the tyre can be easily fixed, rather than having to be replaced, as would be the case if the tyre was left to deteriorate.

Age: How old are your tyres? If you can’t remember replacing them, and you’ve had your car for a while, you might need to make a fast investment in a new set of tyres. The tyres will have embossed on them, usually at the end of the long alphanumeric code will be a three or four-digit number. This represents the week (out of 52) and year of manufacture – so tyres made in mid-June of 2022 will have something like 2622 to indicate their age. If you discover that your tyres are nearing their expiration date or showing signs of ageing such as cracks or dry rot, it’s wise to replace them promptly. Newer tyres can provide better grip, improved fuel efficiency, and a smoother ride, which is crucial for both safety and comfort on long trips. If you are situated in London, for a convenient solution, you can buy your car tyres from DAT Tyres and get them fitted hassle-free at their local branches so your holiday need not be delayed at all.

Inflation: Fitted tyres must always be inflated to within the range indicated by the manufacturer. This is because tyres do not work properly if they are over- or underinflated, which makes them unsafer than they should be. This is such an important aspect of tyre care today that it has been included in the MOT test checklist ever since 2018.

Finally, make sure that you have sufficient tread depth on all your tyres. You might think, seeing as we are currently enjoying some summery weather, that you are unlikely to need the correct level of tread depth. But this is the UK, and you are planning on visiting Cardiff – known as being one of the UK’s wettest cities – so you should take no chances!