Less rubber on sidewall mean more likely wheel can hit a cerb...

You can use rim protectors or tyres with protective things

 

 

more: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=149

Edited 25 July, 201510 yr by 67igor1

I posed the same question on another forum and was advised that many tyres now come with inbuit wheel rim protectors which I had not appreciated.I have a fairly new Rapid with 16 inch wheels so I went to look at the tyres which are Bridgestone and low and behold they do appear to have a protector built into the sidewalls.I am probably tempting fate here but is this the reason that even the wife has not managed to kerb them!I must issue a disclaimer at this point as this is merely a joke as she is actually a much better driver than me.I look forward to seeing whether the tyres on the 17inch wheels on the new Toledo have this same inbuilt protection.

My good lady has already tested the 17" Dunlop tyres MFS system after brushing a curb, thankfully without damage. However to be fair it wasn't her fault, she was dodging some complete fruit loop come straight at her hell for leather down a narrow road.

 

Could have been expensive though, as our car has the Savio alloys. 

 

 

TP