When you're out and about driving, there's only the equivalent of one handprint of tread bridging each of your tyres to the road. Just think about that. Your family's, friend's and your lives are simply riding on that single palm print. So, when it comes to picking tyres for your car, put yourself in safe hands.

Given our busy schedules, it's easy to forget and let side the fact that our tyres are critical safety features of our cars. However, at Bridgestone, your safety sits at the heart of everything they do. That's why the world's number one tyre brand believes it's important for you to know just how to take care of your tyres.

Here are some important tips.

Correctly inflate your tyres

Under or over-inflating your tyres is dangerous and can lead to uneven tread wear. Look for the manufacturer's recommended tyre pressure on the tyre placard usually located on the driver's side door pillar, fuel flap, glove compartment or engine bay.

Or, have a Bridgestone tyre specialist inflate your tyres properly for you.

You should always check your tyres regularly. Bridgestone recommends doing this weekly.
 Also check your tyres' pressures when they are cold. But, ensure that you're using an accurate tyre pressure gauge. For heavy loads or sustained high-speed driving, increase the pressure according to your vehicle's recommendations.

Maintain safe tread depth

Most new tyres start out with 8mm to 9mm of tread. When this wears, your tyre's ability to disperse water reduces. When the tread is less than 2mm, replace your tyre as soon as possible as it's likely to be unsafe. Safe tread depth maintains your driving control, grips the road, disperses water and keeps you safe. A worn tyre increases your braking time in the wet and the chance of you losing control.

Regularly check your tread indicators, which will show as lines across the tread when it's 1.6mm.

Check the age of your tyres

Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule to determining the age at which you should remove your tyres from service.

We recommend using Bridgestone because its tyres come with a five-year warranty from date of manufacture. You can also check the age of your tyres by looking at the Tyre Identification Number (TIN). The last four digits indicate the week and year of manufacture. For example, a tyre with TIN 'XXX1216' was manufactured in the 12^th week of 2016.

Regular tyre rotation

Rotating your tyres is vital for safe tread wear and maximum tyre life. Your tyres can wear differently depending on their position on your car and because of vehicle loading or suspension and steering set up. Rotating your tyres will give a more even wear pattern and prolong tyre life. Bridgestone recommends rotating your tyres every 5,000km to 8,000km, or again, according to your vehicle manufacturer's recommendations.

Regular professional wheel alignment

Correctly aligned wheels are essential for safe handling and braking - and they can help to reduce fatigue when you're driving. Correctly aligned wheels also help avoid excessive or irregular tyre wear. You should professionally align your wheels every six months or every 10,000km driven.

Tyres you can trust

Every year, Bridgestone invests more than $800 million in the research and development of its tyres. With thousands of hours of testing and refining its tyres using cutting-edge technology, Bridgestone continues to surpass global safety standards. The company goes to such great lengths because it's committed to our safety.

When it comes to protecting you on the road, all of the research and development Bridgestone has undertaken is to ensure that you're in the safest hands possible. And whether it's high-performance technology, durability or all-round comfort, there's a Bridgestone tyre to suit your needs and keep you safe wherever you're going. As Bridgestone says, 'Safe tyres, save lives'.