I Hate When That Happens

I recently read a report published by the Rubber Manufacturers Association. This organization has its “National Tire Safety Week” on June 7th -13th. So take a few minuets and test your self on what you know about the tires that you ride around on each day:

1. How do you know what is the correct tire pressure for “your” vehicle? The report said that 46% of drivers believe wrongly that the correct inflation pressure is printed on the tire sidewall. And 15% do not know where to find it. The real answer is that each vehicle manufacture designs its vehicles with a specific tire pressure for that vehicle. The most common place to find the tire pressure for your vehicle in on a sticker found when you open the driver’s door. It can be on the door itself by the latch or on the door jam.
2. When should you check your tire pressure? The report says that 26% wrongly think that the pressure should be checked after the car is driven and the tire is warmed up. Actually the pressure should be tested and adjusted when the tire is at 70 degrees. (Room temp). Air pressure increases with temperature, and conversely decreases when the temp drops. That is why your tires may look low on a cold winter’s day. If you drive the vehicle, the tires will warm up and the pressure will increase. One answer is to fill your tires with pure-dry Nitrogen. This gas is much more stable when the temp fluctuates.
3. How do you know if your tires are in need of replacement? The report said that 2 out of 3 are unaware of when there tires need replacement. The rule is, when the tire has only 2/32nd of an inch or tread remaining, its time to replace it. Tires have a small little “wear bar” that is found down between the treads. This little hump is 2/32nd of an inch. So when the tire tread is flush with the wear bar, replace the tire. Of course the less tread you have the less traction you have in snow, ice and rain.
4. What is one of the easiest and cheapest ways of saving fuel? Check and inflate your tires to the recommended pressure (on the tire placard in the door jam). Under inflated tires cause higher rolling resistance which takes more effort and wastes fuel. Low inflation also is very hard on the tire itself. It will cause the tire to wear on both inside and outside edges, and this will also increase running temperatures and will wear out the tire prematurely. Don’t over inflate either. This can cause handling problems, hydroplaning on wet roads and will prematurely wear out the center tread of the tire.

A couple other worthy things to mention. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). They estimate more than 23,000 tow away crashes were due to blow outs or flat tires. Under inflated tires are attributed to crashes that result in 660 fatalities and 33,000 injures each year. They also report that 27% of passenger cars and 32% of light trucks (Pick-ups) have at least one significantly low tire.

Many newer vehicles are equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems that can alert the driver of a tire pressure problem. If you have this system and the light comes on, please don’t ignore it. These systems do work. Otherwise, at a minimum you will be sitting along the road with a flat tire. I Hate When That Happens!