Get one up on the fellas with tyre maintenance advice
and cheap lady's car insurance

How many times have you heard that old chestnut 'a woman couldn't change a tyre to save her life' fall out of the mouth of one of our dear menfolk? More times than you'd care to mention?

Well, the team here at CoverGirl believe that they are just jealous because lady's car insurance is so much cheaper than men's. They can't hack it because we are the better drivers and they just have to have a dig about something to make themselves feel superior - ahh bless!

We are here to help you prove those stubborn male fools absolutely and categorically wrong about female drivers' lack of aptitude when it comes to car maintenance. We are going to tell you everything you ever wanted to know about car tyres so that you can avoid being in a predicament where your tyre blows-out on the motorway or your balding tyres skid across the road, causing a serious collision.

Not only will our valuable advice help you get one up on the blokes but it will also help you to avoid causing a car accident that could harm you and others as well as guaranteeing a long and happy relationship with your cheap women's car insurance premium. Now you can't say fairer than that.

Inflate that tyre
The condition and pressure of all four tyres and the spare should be checked every fortnight. The pressure can be checked with a tyre gauge once the tyres are cool because tyre pressure rises as tyres are used and warmed.

Before attempting to inflate your tyres you should consult your manufacturer's handbook for the ideal tyre pressure and the correct method.

Your tyre's life will be shortened if it is used while wrongly inflated. Both over-inflated and under-inflated tyres can cause tyre blow-outs and premature tread wear, which are both potential causes of car accidents and could result in hefty increases in your female motor insurance rates.

Avoid tyre blow-outs
These are a common cause of accidents and, while not always avoidable, can be limited by following these three simple steps:

• Do not over-inflate your tyres

• Do not under-inflate your tyres

• Watch out for any cuts, breaks or abrasions that appear on your tyre casing which could penetrate deep into the inner fabric of the tyre

Absolutely gripping
Tyre tread is essential and can be compared to footprints that grip to the road's surface. This is especially important when travelling at high speeds and in wet weather conditions.

When it's rainy the surface of the road may be covered with around 3mm of water while puddles may be around 10 mm. During flash floods, water on the road surface may reach depths of tens of centimetres.

During wet weather conditions a large amount of water on the road's surface is squeezed out by the tread grooves. For example, when travelling at 60mph on a road with 3mm of water on it, a tyre must clear 2 gallons of water per second. That definitely beats the amount of beer that my boyfriend can down when watching the game with his mates.

The less tread there is on your tyres, the less easily your tyre will be able to disperse of this water. This may cause a sheet of water to build up between the tyre and the road and cause your car to aquaplane.

The minimum legal tread depth is 1.6mm and tyres should be replaced immediately when they reach this state. In fact, it is recommended that you consider replacing your tyre when it's tread depth gets as low as 2mm to avoid risking a £500 fine, three penalty points on your licence and a rise in your lady's car insurance premium.

Tread wear
You may have just bought a brand spanking new car or recently replaced all four tyres on your old banger but you cannot always rely on the manufacturer's recommendation of their specified life. Rapid or uneven tread can mean that your tyres need changing way before their allotted time and this can be avoided by:

• Not over-inflating tyres or overloading the car - to prevent quick wear along the edges of the tread

• Not under- inflating tyres - to prevent quick wear along the centre of the tread

• Non-faulty brakes and shock absorbers - to prevent flat bald spots appearing around the tread of the tyre

• Correct wheel alignment - to prevent quick wear along the inside or outside edges of the front tyres

• Not taking corners too quickly - to prevent quick tyre wear on front wheels

• Not accelerating too harshly and causing wheel spin - quick wear on driving wheels, such as those found on four- wheel drive vehicles

So, ladies take heed and keep your tyre maintenance up to date. Now you know how to check if your car's tyres need inflating and how to avoid tyre blow-outs and premature tread wear.

You can evade any embarrassing damsel in distress routines like waiting for a man in a yellow van to come and change your tyre for you; you can prove those pig-headed men wrong when they're trying to win a gender battle; you can even make sure that you hold a firm grip of your low cost lady's car insurance premium for the next year.

Yes, women truly are the greatest!

Author: Katy Lassetter, CoverGirl Car Insurance Services
CoverGirl Car Insurance Services are specialists in women's car insurance and can provide fast, free quotes in seconds- just go to www.covergirlcarinsurance.co.uk or call 0333 123 1308 today.