Maintaining your tires is the best way to improve your vehicle’s handling. Poor tire quality is the number one cause of accidents on slippery roads and incidents where swerving quickly is required. Tire blowouts cause more than 78000 crashes per year. Avoid costly repairs and potential hospital bills by taking good care of your tires and knowing when to change them. Here are four signs that you may need new tires.
1. The Penny Test
The Penny Test is a quick and accurate way to check the quality of your tire tread.
Take a penny with the top of the Lincoln head toward the tire. Place the penny in the groove between the treads. If the tread covers Lincoln’s head, your tread is still good. If the tread is on top of the head, you need to replace your worn tire.
2. Uneven Wear
Steering wheel shake or if your vehicle tends to pull to one side when driving are two good indicators of uneven tire wear. Your tires may look fine from one side; however, the inner side of your tires may be worn due to poor alignment. Perform the Penny Test on both sides of your tires.
3. Age of Your Tires
The age of your tires may compromise the safety of the vehicle. The treads of your tires may pass the Penny Test due to low mileage driving; however,old tires can conceal structural damage. Tires that are ten years old on a low mileage car need to be replaced. Check the age of your tires. You can check the tire identification number on the sidewall of the tire. The last four encircled digits of the DOT number will give you the date the tire was made. For example, if the four encircled digits are 2119, this would mean the tire was made the 21th week of 2019.
4. Tire Damage
Frequently check your tires for nails or sharp objects embedded in your tires. Look for cracks, slashes or gouges. Our tires can be damaged without us even knowing it and as a result, these defects can lead to blowouts and serious injury.
These four signs that you may need new tires will help to keep you and your family safe on the road. Call the tire experts at Southside Auto if you have any further questions about tire wear and tear. We can help you choose the right tire for your vehicle and keep your travels happy!
719.561.1392
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