FIVE UNSEEN DANGERS OF WORN TIRES

  • HEAT BUILD-UP Worn tire tread increases heat build-up. As the distance between the tire and the road decreases due to less tread, less airflow is available between the road and the tire. Heat is the great enemy of tire rubber and a major factor in tire failure.
  • PUNCTURE: Tire tread protects the tire casing from puncture. Worn out tread greatly increases the chances for a tire blowout due to puncture.
  • HYDROPLANING: Worn tire tread can cause hydroplaning, a problem that can begin at about 5/32" of tread remaining.
  • BALANCE & ALIGNMENT: Tire balance and suspension alignment problems that cause dangerous tire wear can easily go unnoticed by most drivers.
  • UNDERINFLATION: Tires with worn tread are more likely to be seriously under inflated. This condition can adversely impact steering, braking and fuel mileage.

DRIVERS DON'T KNOW WHEN THEIR TIRES ARE UNSAFE.

Two out of three drivers do not know how to tell if their tires are bald, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association.

Nearly one in 10 vehicles on our roads today is driving with at least one bald tire (2/32" of tread remaining), according to the U. S. Department of Transportation. That means nearly 23-million vehicles are driving with a bald tire (based on 230-million vehicles registered in the United States).

Most modern tires have tread-wear indicator bars running across the tread. These signal the minimum allowable tread depth of 1/16-inch. When the tread is worn down to these bars, it's time for new tires. You could purchase an inexpensive tread wear gauge at an auto-part or tire stores, or you could use the penny test! You can use a Lincoln-head penny as a tread-wear indicator. Insert the penny into a tire groove with Lincoln's head toward the tire. If you can see the top of Abe's head, the tread is too worn, and you need new tires.

Worn tire tread can lead to tragic tire blowout and hydroplaning accidents. What can you do about tire hydroplaning?

  1. 1. SLOW DOWN when the roads are wet. A wet road may be just as slippery as an icy road; all traction is LOST at hydroplaning speeds.
  2. 2. Be alert for STANDING WATER or puddles, especially ON CURVES.
  3. 3. Keep GOOD TIRES on your car, and keep them PROPERLY INFLATED.
  4. 4. Increase FOLLOWING DISTANCES go give yourself more time and distance to stop or control your car.
  5. 5. Be alert for SIDE WINDS which can affect vehicle control.
  6. 6. Adjust your speed to ROAD CONDITIONS, and remember that hydroplaning CAN occur well BELOW posted speed limits.

Vehicles today, with all their technical enhancements, still need four healthy hunks of round rubber on the wheels to compliment the fuel injected, computer controlled engine under the hood. Whether you hydroplane, have a slow leak or blowout, it is very inconvenient when a tire flattens your day.

Happy Motoring,

Amy