Summer Tire Tips
From the Rubber Manufacturers
Association
(ARA) – Warm weather, sunshine and
lower gas prices may get more
motorists on the road this summer.
If you'll be among them, now is a
good time to prepare your vehicle --
and especially its tires -- for
summer road trips.
When was the last time you checked
the air pressure in your tires? Most
people have never checked it, says
Larry Wolf, an automotive technology
program instructor at WyoTech in
Fremont, Calif. He explains that
most drivers are not aware of how
often they need to check their
tires. "The need for regular oil
changes and annual tune-ups is
pretty common knowledge. But
consumer knowledge about tire safety
unfortunately remains low," Wolf
says. The Rubber Manufacturers
Association found that 29 million
drivers believe that tires require
no regular maintenance. Wolf
stresses that drivers should check
their tire pressure regularly,
approximately once a month.
"Driving
around on under-inflated tires or
worn tires can have serious
consequences on your ability to
control your car, especially in bad
weather," he says. Unfortunately,
the RMA also found that only 11
percent of drivers correctly check
their tire pressure once a month.
"Essentially, under-inflated tires
concentrate the weight of the car on
the tread under the sidewalls,
instead of evenly distributing the
car's weight throughout the tire,"
says Wolf. "What that means is that
the sidewall is continuously being
squished, and becomes very hot,
posing additional risks to the car
and driver. Eventually, a tire that
is significantly under-inflated can
blow out from the stress and heat
that builds up."
Currently, a tire under-inflated by
30 percent is the government's
minimum safety standard. If a tire
is under-inflated by more than that
percentage, it's considered unsafe
to drive.
Over-inflation can be similarly
dangerous, according to Steven
Fernandez, an automotive technology
program instructor at WyoTech.
Fernandez cautions that
over-inflated tires prevent the car
from maximizing tread contact with
the road.
He suggests that in addition to a
monthly check on tire pressure, you
also give your tires a monthly
"glance over" to look for other
telltale signs of damage. Drivers
should look for uneven wear patterns
and examine tire sidewalls for cuts
or bulging. "Uneven wear patterns
could mean you are having alignment
problems and may need to realign
your steering wheel or replace
suspension parts," Fernandez says.
"Bulging or cuts in sidewalls are
also potentially dangerous, as they
could lead to a tire blowout."
You should check the tread depth of
your tires each month. "There are a
number of easy ways to check tire
tread, including inexpensive gauges
or even just a ruler," says
Fernandez. The legal limit is set at
2/32 inches, but automobile experts
universally agree that driving
around on anything less than 3/32
inches is unsafe, especially in
rainy conditions.
Aquaplaning, or hydroplaning as it
is also called, is many drivers'
worst nightmare and it is a big
concern during summer travel months.
It happens when a car's tires lose
contact with the road due to pockets
of water. Fernandez explains that
the chance of hydroplaning is much
more likely when tire tread is low.
"Tire treads are grooves in the tire
that help to disperse water and
increase traction on the road. When
they wear down, they aren't able to
redirect water nearly as
effectively." Too often, when
drivers find themselves at the mercy
of slippery weather conditions, it's
because their tires are not up to
par.
Summer often means long road trips
-- with the whole family, pets and
lots of gear loaded into the
vehicle. Drivers should always check
their tire pressure before long
trips with fully loaded vehicles. "A
little tire maintenance now can help
ensure a safe vacation down the
road," says Wolf.
