Changing your tires is not a matter of vanity. That is, it isn’t about putting pretty tires on a car so they look nice and shiny on the road. It is not a status statement.
Changing your car tires is a means of preserving life and limb. A car driving on weak or damaged tires is a serious hazard that can result in a crash.
Why would anyone want to put themselves at that type of risk?
Many times people place themselves at risk because they are uninformed. They simply are not aware how often tires need to be changed or when general work needs to be done on a car.
So, they go driving off on their merry way until a calamity occurs.
Having a blow out of a tire while driving sixty-miles an hour on a highway is not exactly a fun prospect. It is a danger to the driver, other vehicles on the road, and to any pedestrians that are in the area.
Tires generally last about eight years, unless significant wear or punctures occur that compromises the rubber or tube.
Now, how often should one check for wear on a tire? This is a no brainer: check the condition of a cars tires at least once a month. Wear and tear on a tire can occur anytime for a multitude of reasons. As such, you need to keep an eye on tires at all times.
If you are unsure what to check, the Rubber Manufacturer Association provides a brief list of items one should monitor regularly.
According to the Rubber Manufacturers Association, the following is a tire care checklist that should be followed to monitor tire safety inspections: proper inflation pressure, proper vehicle loading, proper tire wear, regular inspection, good driving habits, and vehicle condition.
By doing this, one is able to monitor the condition of the wear and tear of a tire. For example, if the tires on a car are not properly inflated, driving on the tires will degrade the tires and may lead to inevitable serious damage.
Remember, the lessening of tire pressure can result from not monitoring tire pressure regularly (or at all) or it could be from a puncture on the tire that you are not aware of.
If you follows a regular monitoring of the five items that Rubber Manufacturer
Association suggests, you may be able to make a tire switch at a time that is more opportune that an emergency situation.
Here is one item that many people do not consider: periodically check to see if a manufacturer has issued any recalls! If a tire manufacturer has issued a recall, it is more than likely because a fairly serious defect exists with the tire.
If the tire owner is driving around on tires that have been recalled (and, who knows, the tires could have been recalled months ago!) the driver is taking a risk.
Always keep on top of recalls with a car and any accessories the car has. If you discover that the tires have been recalled by the manufacturer, get the tires replaced as soon as possible!
If it is any consolation, more often than not, the manufacturer will rebate money spent on the recall. Just stay on top of it and problems will be avoided.
Be good to your tires or they will be unkind to you!
