If shoes protect your feet, tyres protect your vehicle. Think about the bottom of your shoes, the ‘bunga’, with grooves and patterns that help grip the ground. Car tyres have something similar, which are treads.

Similarly, tyre treads consist of various grooves and patterns to provide traction on the surface, help with steering, and for your vehicle’s overall performance. 

Different treads provide different functions, thus a one-of-a-kind driving experience. Hence, it’s imperative to consider several factors when selecting tyres, like your driving style and needs, the daily driving condition, and even the type of vehicle. 

3 Types Of Car Tyre Treads

1. Symmetric

A symmetric tyre tread is the most common tyre pattern used by mainstream cars and has the same mirrored design on both sides of the tyre and across it. 

Some benefits of symmetric tyre treads include longer-lasting performance, better balance for vehicles, more cost-efficiency, and comfort on the road in terms of rolling resistance and noise. 

Besides that, tyres with symmetrical treads are highly versatile and can rotate anywhere – front-to-back, back-to-front, inside out, or even switching via a crisscross (X) direction. The rotations ensure your tyres won’t wear out fast, so you won’t need to replace them often.  

2. Asymmetric

Compared to symmetrical treads, an asymmetric tyre tread does not have the same pattern on the inner and outer sides. 

Each side has a different tread for different purposes. Often, the inner tread focuses on greater water dispersal in wet environments, while the outer tread provides a better grip on dry roads. Depending on the tread design, there may be other functions too.

For tyre rotations, tyres with asymmetric treads can be rotated front-to-back, back-to-front, and crisscross (X), but the correct side (the outer tread) must always face outwards. This is because the outer tread usually has larger blocks for a better dry road surface grip.

3. Directional

Directional tyre treads are designed to only rotate in one direction and are regularly available in high-performance tyres and cars. 

A directional tread is typically designed with a V-shaped or arrow-shaped tread, which helps displace water more efficiently to boost hydroplaning resistance. Beyond that, it also supplies a strong grip on wet roads and similar conditions, plus added stability when travelling at high speeds.

Tyres with directional treads can only be rotated in two ways: front-to-back and back-to-front. Why? Because the tread pattern must be aligned correctly to work properly and provide stability for the vehicle.

What To Do If Your Car Skids?

The number one thing you should never ever do is panic and let go of the steering. Remain level-headed, keep your hands on the steering wheel, and focus on controlling the car to stop the skidding. 

While regaining control of the car, avoid sudden hard brakes (a.k.a. jam brake) or jerking the steering wheel instantly. If you really do need to brake, take your foot off the accelerator and brake gently and slowly. Likewise, don’t oversteer – make small and smooth steering movements instead. 

How To Take Care Of Your Tyre Treads

Treads are bound to wear out over time, so some easy ways you can take care of your tyre treads are:

• Check for signs of wear and tear, such as cracks, tears, puncture marks, and even discolouration. 
• Take your car to a reliable tyre service centre to check your tyre alignment and balancing are not off.
• Ensure the tyre treads wear is balanced and not uneven for your safety, vehicle handling and stability, and to protect your vehicle’s suspension system. 
• Inspect the tyre tread depth. It is recommended to have a minimum tyre tread depth of 1.6mm to be road-safe. 

If your tyres have worn out despite having a tyre tread depth of more than 1.6mm, don’t wait till it wears down and find a replacement tyre A.S.A.P. Just like shoes for your feet, keep your vehicle well protected with reliable tyres for a smooth driving experience.