Regardless of your vehicle’s penchant for safety, the only thing that touches the ground is the tires. Without proper care, you can put your health and the health of other motorists in jeopardy. In the summer, this becomes even more vital as scorching temperatures and an increase in road hazards, traffic, and potholes can cause even more wear and tear on your tires and your vehicle. To avoid damage to your tires and the perils of summer driving, follow these simple tips.
Make Sure Your Tires Are Properly Inflated
Every owner’s manual has a section dedicated to how many pounds per square inch, or PSI, each tire of your vehicle should have. If your tires fall outside of this range, it can cause a dangerous amount of overinflation or underinflation. To exacerbate the problem, a 10-degree increase in outdoor temperature can increase your tire’s PSI by 1 PSI, causing a potential hazard, especially when temperatures rise in midsummer or during a heat wave.
Because of the dangers posed by improper PSI, take time to check your tire pressure at least once a week. Learn how to use a tire gauge before the summer starts to find the correct PSI, so you don’t have to worry about blowing a tire.
Reduce Your Speed and Create Some Distance
Potholes are one of the biggest threats to your tires throughout the summer. In winter, the freezing and thawing of water under the pavement can ruin the integrity of the road. When summer comes, the increased number of drivers can quickly wear away the concrete or blacktop. This creates an exorbitant amount of potholes that lie in wait for your tires.
When there’s no traffic and sunny weather, avoiding potholes is an easy task. However, rain and traffic can obscure your view of these potholes. To lessen the incidence of hitting a pothole, widen the gap between you and the car in front of you. This enables you to see any pothole in your path. Keep an eye on your speed as well, so if you do hit a pothole, you can minimize the damage on your vehicle and tire.
Remember the T.I.R.E. Method
If you aren’t the best at caring for your car or you routinely forget about maintenance, the T.I.R.E. method is your greatest ally. The “T” stands for tidy, meaning you should keep your tires clean and use a protectant to help them withstand the summer heat. The “I” means to inspect your tires for damage to the tread or sidewalls that may come from a pothole or regular wear and tear.
If you use winter tires or all-season tires, the “R” reminds you to replace them with summer tires designed to withstand excessive temperatures. Finally, the “E” is for easy does it. To follow this rule, don’t overload your car with extra weight. When you do this, it causes longer braking times, which cause more friction and excessive wear on your tires.
By using these suggestions, you can keep your car tires in superb condition for as long as possible. However, you should never ignore any vibrations or other signs that your tires may fail. If this happens, take your car in for service before something catastrophic happens.
Image via TheDaddy_Chazz | Licensed by CC BY-SA 2.0
