Jonathan Allen from Car Connexxion

I think Karen Carpenter had a point, only today we have both….a maelstrom of factors which if you're not careful can 'get you down” so to speak.

Now for those of you who have a cushy number behind a desk, or are lucky enough to be inside a shop looking out the window thinking what a miserable day it is, spare a thought for your friendly courier driver that is on his second set of clothes for the day - the first are at home in a wet puddle by his/her empty lunchbox.

Or me - whose socks are wet and hasn't seen a customer all day!

Still I'm not complaining, wet days give us time to tidy a pile of papers on our desk that have been sitting there for months, read the paper and catch up on the possible reasons why some lunatic in the USA decided to walk into a crowded movie theatre and kill 12 people….what was a 6-year-old and a 6-week-old baby doing in a midnight screening of batman anyway? Only in America?

On a motoring note…..what are your tyres like?

Most New Zealand drivers follow too close to the car in front. I am sure most of you would agree with this comment.

I bet you have looked into your rear-view mirror at least once in the last month and felt a brief episode of road rage (however small) as to the distance the driver behind felt they needed to travel to your car.

I can't understand why they do it but they do. My point is that if you intend to stop in this distance then the only thing between you and the road is your tyres, if they are not in good shape and you have to stop in a hurry then they may not stop you from ploughing into the car in front of you.

The tyres on your car are probably the most important influencing factor in terms of how it handles and stops (particularly in an emergency situation).

They are also probably the most neglected item on the car. When was the last time you took your car to a tyre shop to have them check your tyres, adjust the pressures and make sure there were no issues?

You should do this at least as often as you service your car (every 12 months or 10,000kms) preferably more often.

You should think about changing your tyres when the tread depth gets down to 2.5mm (1.5mm is legal minimum) any less and on wet days such as today your stopping distance is greatly reduced.

So before you head home from work tonight in this torrential rain, have a quick look at your tyres and think of how they are the only think touching the road stopping you or your family hitting a lamppost or another car. If you are unsure take the time to go and have them checked!

Stay Safe.