If your tyre looks flat but the pressure gauge says otherwise, you’re not alone. Tyre flexibility, heavy loads, and temperature changes can all make tyres appear underinflated even when they’re not. In this guide, we explain why this happens and when it’s worth rechecking or replacing your tyres.
With the tyres of your vehicle responsible for maintaining solid, smooth contact with the road throughout your journey, it is important that they are well maintained – ensuring optimum safety, performance, and comfort.
This maintenance includes checking the tyre tread, ensuring good alignment, and regularly taking pressure readings to make sure that each tyre is adequately supporting the vehicle’s weight.
But while pressure readings provide the most accurate representation of how well inflated a tyre is, sometimes a quick glance at the tyre can leave drivers worrying about whether their tyres really are supporting the vehicle properly. Here are some of the reasons why your tyres may look flat at first glance, despite the pressure gauge confirming that they are adequately inflated.
Why is Tyre Pressure So Important?
Tyre pressure equates to the inflation of tyres. It is responsible for how flexible the tyres are, and how easily they adapt to different terrains, climates, conditions, and manoeuvres.
If tyres are under- or overinflated, they are more susceptible to suffering a puncture or blowout. When tyres are not inflated to the correct pressure, they are also more unpredictable and difficult to control.
That’s why, as part of your regular vehicle checks, it’s incredibly important to take tyre pressure readings. So, what does it mean when your tyres look flat despite the latest pressure reading matching the proposed pressure inside your vehicle?
Tyre Flexibility and Its Impact on Inflation
One of the most common reasons for tyres looking flat, even when they’re not, is their flexible structure. Radial tyres in particular boast the kind of construction that flexes and adapts to the road surface – making them look flat even when they’re not.
This can be exacerbated when viewed from certain angles, and on certain road surfaces or terrains. It can also be affected by the weight of the vehicle, especially if you are carrying an unusually heavy load which puts more weight than usual on the tyres.
The Impact of Climate and Temperature
Another reason for tyres looking flatter than they are is the impact of climate and temperature on tyre pressure. As the temperature drops, so too does the pressure in your tyres – with the colder weather requiring a top up of air to retain the right pressure for tyres.
