Keep Em’ Rolling: How To Know When To Change Your Tires

We always stress about making sure our tires are safe from popping before the winter months, but we shouldn’t be letting off the throttle just because it’s getting warmer. Driving on tires that are too old or worn too thin can put you at great risk to become one of those drivers stranded on the side of the road, roasting under the hot sun—and that’s something both I and all those stranded drivers advise against.

Check Your Air Pressure Regularly

Especially when it’s warm, having tires that are under or over inflated are much more likely to blow out than tires that are properly filled. That doesn’t mean you need to check your PSI obsessively. Once every month or so, and especially whenever the seasons change, pull out your air pressure gauge and make sure the pressure matches what the owners manual and the information sticker on the inside of the drivers door panel states.

Keep An Eye On Your Tread

Finally put to use some of that spare change you collect in your center console. Whenever you check your air pressure, pull out a penny and check the tread on your tires. Put the penny in the groove of your tire. If the tread doesn’t reach past President Lincoln’s head, then it’s time for new tires. Keep your eyes out for uneven wear patterns, too. It could just be due to improper inflation, but it could also be that your alignment is off or some other problem is present.

The Path of Least Resistance

Philosophers will always tell you to ‘take the road less traveled’ because the easy path is for cop-outs. This totally doesn’t apply to your driving. When it’s hot out, the extra heat and friction to your tires can cause a blowout from a curb, pothole, or some other large or sharp object. Especially if your tires are getting skinny, try and take a route that doesn’t have construction going on or just stick to well-maintained roads.

It’s not hard to go your whole life without blowing a tire if you take merely seconds out of your day to be aware of your tires. Trust me, alternate universe you who’s stuck on the highway in the summer sun wishes she had.