Tire Tips For Car Owners
Mistakes with your vehicle's tires can be a serious safety issue for the driver and anyone that is riding in the vehicle. When a person fails to follow the best practices for their tires, they could substantially decrease their control over the vehicle and increase the potential for a catastrophic tire failure.
Driving On Tires With Excessive Wear To Their Treads
An especially common mistake that people make with their tires can be failing to recognize the hazards that come with driving on tires that have excessive wear to their treading. As the treading for the tire starts to degrade, it will provide increasingly less effective traction for the vehicle. This can make the vehicle harder to control when the roads are wet or icy, and it can even increase stopping distance when driving conditions are otherwise clear. Periodically measuring the depth of the treads on your tires can provide you with a warning as to when they are needing to be replaced.
Failing To Replace Damaged Tires
There can be many different potential sources of damage to your tires. In particular, individuals may find that small punctures can form that will allow air to slowly leak out of the tire. While it may seem as though this can be easily managed by simply adding more air to the tires at regular intervals. However, this is rarely a suitable solution to this problem as the driver may still be at risk of the vehicle suffering a sudden tire failure. This could result in them being stranded or even losing control of the vehicle. While some small leaks can be addressed with a patch, this will still be far less effective than having the tire replaced. This is a result of the potential for the tire plug to fail and come out of place.
Not Changing Seasonally Appropriate Tires
Using tires that are suitable for the particular season can be another step that some drivers may not be diligent about following, but it can be a simple task that will substantially improve your safety when operating the vehicle. An example of this could be installing winter tires as they will have a profile and tread design that will increase the tire's overall traction on surfaces that are covered with snow or ice. During the warmer months, summer tires can be preferred as they will use a tread pattern that can direct water away from the car's tires so that the risk of hydroplaning will be reduced.
For more information, contact a tire change technician today.