Regular Checking of Tires could become a Life Saving Habit

Auto trade experts have reported that the most number of deaths in the previous year were as a result of poor maintenance of car tires. It is a well known fact that extremely hot weather conditions and a set of faulty or improper tires can spell a dangerous combination for car users. Industry experts as well as the police authorities have confirmed that the tires, when they are worn out, were the leading reason for accidents all over the world. Taking a little care of your tires regularly can be a life saving habit and will help to make the roads safe for many people. Bursting of tires, particularly on the highways, is becoming a frequent malady. Tire companies and experts are expecting cooperation from the traffic police authorities to start a promotional campaign that will bring out awareness among car owners to check tires that are worn out, especially at the onset of the summer season. There are many car owners and drivers who are just not in the habit of doing a regular check on their tires. Such negligent behavior could prove dangerous and end in unpleasant results. Motor owners need to be informed on this serious matter of tire safety. Most of the people do not even know what they have to check for. Taking their cars for the annual check when the cars come up for registration renewal is not sufficient. Once this check is done, then nobody bothers for one full year. The safety of a car tire will depend on the usage of the brakes, weather and road conditions. It will also depend on the load that the car takes and the wheel alignment. Other factors that come into play are the age of the tires and air pressure. What is not in control of the car owners is the quality of the car tires. It becomes necessary for a car owner to take interest in the basics of checking a tire when buying a new set. The tires may look new but it is still better to check the date of manufacture, the date of expiry and the size of the tires to make sure that they are suitable for your car. The key areas to check for safety concerns are air pressure, alignment and rotation. Air pressure cannot be neglected. Very low pressure will end up damaging the tires and very high pressure will result in a tire that can be blown. Air pressure can be gauged as per the particular car’s specifications and should be maintained in correlation with that. It is important for the tires to get a good grip on the roads. The minimum legal tread depth for car tires is 1.6 mm but it is dangerous to wait for such a depth. Wheel alignment reduces the wearing out of the tires and checks the stress. It adds to the steering ability of the vehicle. A tire which is out of balance can compromise road safety. It may also lead to shaking and mechanical impact on the car. Regular rotation of the tires keeps them in good health. This can be repeated after every round of seven thousand kilometers. Rotation helps in the maintenance of equal usage for the shoulders of both the front and the rear tires. When you inflate the tires properly, you will get a pleasant ride and will also feel safe. Should the tires be over inflated, they will result in lesser contact area with the road surface and may lead to damage. Under inflated tires can result in a lot of flexing, leading to faster wearing out of the treads. So, car owners have to remember that tires are a major issue when it comes to being safe on the roads.