Tire Safety Information All New Drivers Need To Know

If you just purchased or were given your first vehicle, you need to know how to take care of your tires in order to stay safe on the road. Here are things all new drivers need to know about how to take care of the their tires:

It Essential That Your Tires Are Properly Inflated

You need to keep your tires properly inflated. There are numerous consequences that come with both under inflated as well as over inflated tires.

  • Under Inflated Tires

When your tires are under inflated, your tires will wear unevenly and could even blow out when you are driving. Additionally, under inflated tires negatively influence your vehicle's fuel efficiency.

  • Over Inflated Tires

Having over inflated tires is also not good for your vehicle. Over inflated tires will experience increased wear around the middle of the tire. You will also decrease your traction and your ability to stop effectively with over inflated tires. Finally, they can also affect how your vehicle feels when it is driving.

In order to avoid a blow out and other problems, it is important that you keep your tire pressure just right. On the inside of your driver's door or in your owner's manual you should find the psi or pounds per square inch that your tires should be kept at.

You can check the psi of your tires and refill your tires a couple of different ways. You can:

  • Purchase a pressure gauge from your local auto parts store that will allow you to take off the cap and measure the psi for each tire. You can use an air compressor or pump to fill your tires properly.
  • Use the air fill station at your local gas station. Most air fill stations are equipped with psi readers as well. You will be able to add or release air from your tires in order and get an accurate reading at the same time.
  • Swing through your local oil change shop or tire shop, and ask the mechanics on duty if they can check your tire pressure and adjust it if necessary.

You Don't Want The Tread To Get Too Low

Next, you need to pay attention to the tread on your tires. The tread on your tires is the textured surface that makes contact with the road. When the tread on your tires gets too low, you no longer have the traction you need to effectively stop. You can easily figure out if the tread on your tires is too low by doing the penny test.

You can also visually inspect your tires on a regular basis. Your tread should wear evenly; if your tires are wearing unevenly, check your tire pressure. Overfilled tires tend to wear in the middle and under filled tires tend to wear more on the outside edge of the tire. You also need to rotate your tires on a regular basis to prevent uneven wear. If the wear is extreme, you may need to replace your tires.

You Need To Rotate Your Tires

In order to ensure that your tires wear evenly, you should also rotate your tires. A good rule of thumb is to have your tires rotated after every other oil change, or after about 6,000 miles. Different pressure is exerted on your front and rear tires, which is why it is a good idea to rotate them on a regular basis. This will ensure that your tires wear evenly and last as long as possible.

You Need To Have Your Tires Aligned 

If you notice your vehicle seems to drift to one side when you let go of the wheel, it's because you tires are no longer sitting perfectly straight on your vehicle. This happens due to normal wear and tear, such as going over bumps and hitting potholes. Most vehicles do not need their tires aligned all that often; this is more a once-every-few-years type of maintenance issue. 

Now that you know the basics of tire care, make sure that you check the tire pressure once a month and perform regular visual checks. By being vigilant, you will avoid tire problems and extend the life of your tires. Contact a company like Ken's Auto Services, Inc for more tips.

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