Tire Safety Tips for National Tire Safety Week
Discount Tire offered up some tire safety tips to pass along to customers during National Tire Safety Week, which runs from June 26 to July 3, the company announced.
Each year more than 40 million people travel for Independence Day weekend, and this year’s travel numbers are expected to set a record high. The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association’s annual summer initiative, National Tire Safety Week, reminds drivers of the critical importance of checking their tires and wheels before they hit the roads, the organization said.
A study conducted by USTMA reported nearly 70% of U.S. drivers had not checked their tire pressure in the last 30 days. Discount Tire recommends checking tire air pressure at least once a month to help maintain good fuel economy and mitigate potential tire issues.
Other tire safety tips for customers:
Pressure: Check your tires’ air pressure when they’re cool at least once a month, especially before a long trip. Low pressure leads to poor handling and worse gas mileage, excessive wear, and overloading. Tires are always losing air due to impacts and pressures of bumps and turns. Temperature change also affects air pressure (for every 10 degrees in ambient temperature change, the tire air pressure changes 1 psi).
Alignment: Important to your vehicle’s tire wear is getting the suspension checked by an expert, as irregular tire wear can develop if anything is out of alignment.
Rotate: Tires should be rotated every 6,000 miles or earlier if uneven wear develops.
Tread: Tread depth determines a vehicle’s safe stopping distance. You can check it by sticking a penny upside down in a tread groove — it’s time to replace if Lincoln’s head is visible. Or visit your local Discount Tire to have an expert technician check your tread for free with a mobile tread depth reader that can scan your tire tread in seconds.
Know Your Age: The older a tire, the higher the risk for failure. As a tire ages, the rubber becomes harder and brittle, losing elasticity and strength. The age of your tire can be found by checking the DOT number stamped on its sidewall. Discount Tire recommends replacing any tire that’s 6 years old or more.
Check Your Trunk: Most new vehicles come equipped with tire inflation kits that include puncture-coating sealants and air compressors instead of a traditional spare tire. Check to see what your vehicle has, and make sure you have a roadside-assistance plan such as AAA.
