6 Tire Care Tips for National Tire Safety Month

While driving your car, do you ever think about how your tires are your only contact point with the ground? The contact patch at each corner provides all your traction, helping you to get to all your destinations safely. However, your tires can only work at their best if they are kept in good condition through every mile. 

So, in honor of National Tire Safety Month, why not renew your commitment to maintaining your tires by checking out these tire care tips?

1. Check Your Tire Pressure Weekly

Your tires must stay at optimal pressure levels to maintain a complete contact patch and avoid getting damaged. If you overinflate your tires, the contact patch shrinks and can dramatically reduce your traction. If your tires are underinflated, wear and tire increase as more of the tire comes into contact with the road. Both situations will ultimately lead to blowouts if allowed to continue.

2. Measure Your Tread Depth a Few Times a Year

Your tires reach the end of their service life once the center tread hits 2/32”. You can keep that from being a surprise by measuring your tread depth a few times a year. All you need is a tread depth gauge or a penny to check. Once your tires get near their wear limit, talk to your trusted Orlando, FL auto repair shop for tire replacement recommendations.

3. Schedule a Tire Rotation with Your Regular Oil Changes

Your drive tires wear at a faster rate than your other tires. So, if you have an FWD car, the front tires quickly wear down, and vice versa for RWD and rear tires. AWD tires wear unevenly, too, although it’s not as cut and dried as FWD and RWD wear patterns. 

Fortunately, there’s a way to get the most life out of each set of tires: tire rotations. By having your tires moved to different corners at each oil change visit, you can keep all your tires wearing at nearly the same rate.

4. Get Yearly Wheel Alignments at a Tire Shop Near You

Your suspension geometry also has a profound effect on how your tires wear. If your tires are not tracking the road properly, friction and heat increase, which accelerates the wear rate considerably. 

You can prevent or correct that issue by having your ASE-certified mechanic align your wheels. The wheel alignment process returns your tire position to the optimal spec, improving your handling and protecting your tires from uneven or excessive wear.

5. Watch the Road for Potholes and Debris in Your Path

Potholes, steel construction plates, and other roadway hazards can all wreak havoc on the condition of your tires. While you cannot always avoid the hazards, you can reduce your speed and minimize damage if you watch carefully. 

Don’t forget to do your best to avoid debris in the roadway. While it’s virtually impossible to see nails in your path, sticks, screwdrivers, and other somewhat pointy objects can all pop a hole in your tire. 

6. Always Avoid Driving on a Tire That’s Going Flat

No one likes to have to pull onto the right shoulder and change a tire, but driving on a flat can cost you big time. Even a few minutes of driving with a flat tire can completely ruin the rubber and cause damage to your vehicle. It’s also seriously unsafe. 

So, unless you absolutely cannot safely pull off to the right, avoid driving on a flat. If you don’t have the means or safe space to change your tire, call for a tow truck to get out of harm’s way quickly.