Car Tire Safety Checklist
Checking your car tires and making an assessment of its health is important for its overall longevity and practicing fuel economy. The tires play an important role in your car and if neglected, it could result in a potentially dangerous situation. If you do not look after your car tires, this can result in the tires becoming structurally weaker and in most cases, leave you with a flat far from home. But it could also result in your tires not being able to bear the brunt of sudden brakes, leading to accidents.
To avoid this, it is necessary to follow certain tire care tips and ensure they become a part of your maintenance routine. These should be ideally followed once a month.
Let’s examine 3 must-have points on car tire safety checklists.
- Get tire balancing and alignment
Many people are unaware of tire balancing and this may pose a serious threat to the safety and well-being of the driver. Whenever you buy a tire or two, ensure that a qualified technician balances the tires to ensure that they roll forward smoothly and without any hindrance. This also enhances the drive and ensures there is no vibration on the road. Neglecting the balancing of tires can expedite their irregular wear. This may require you to get replacements more often and getting new tires is not cheap.
The alignment of the wheels is also very important to ensure that the tires are all moving forward in a fluid motion and in a straight line. If the tires are not aligned properly, this may result in drifting.
- Check for irregular wear
It is to be noted that all tires wear down in the due course of time. Your concern here is irregular wear. This wearing out can be at the center of the tires or even that which is restricted to the shoulders of the tire. Flat spot wears occur when you brake suddenly, leaving a long ugly skid mark. Feathering and cupping occur when you use the vehicle with reckless abandon and cut corners aggressively.
If you notice any of these marks, it is time to replace your tires. Do not risk driving with worn-out tires as even if the roads appear safe, it is best to be careful rather than sorry. This is an essential addition to your car tire safety checklist.
- Inspect the tire sidewalls
Harsh road conditions can leave your tires in bad shape and it is important to inspect them for any signs of wear and tear. The numerous potholes and curbs along with other objects on the road can cause cuts and tears in the walls of your vehicle’s tires. If you notice this, it is important to immediately replace them, especially if the bulge or cut is severe.
Many retailers today give some good deals like free warranties for road hazards. So, when making a purchase on your tire, ensure you get one of these deals.