Tires: Your Frontline Accident Defense

Many people think of auto safety in terms of anti-lock braking systems, airbags, and seat belts. The problem with this thinking, however, is that these safety features only keep you safe in the event of a crash.

Perhaps a better way to think of vehicle safety is in terms of features that actually prevent accidents. One of the very first defenders against accidents, especially in wet or snowy Pennsylvania weather conditions, is the set of tires on your vehicle.

Tire Safety: Maintenance Always

A good set of properly maintained tires can mean the difference between arriving safely at your destination and sitting in a ditch, especially when roads are wet and slick. Your car’s tires go through a lot of stress and abuse, but with the proper care and attention, your tires will be reliable and safe.

This winter, two of the most important things to remember about your tires is preserving pressure and tread.

Your Tire Pressure Can Save You and Your Wallet

Properly inflated tires grip the road better as well as help you sip gas. Most tires on the road today are underinflated, which causes tires to wear more quickly, as well as waste fuel. Do not rely on your car’s tire pressure light to pump up—check your tire pressure regularly, and be sure to keep a pressure gauge in your glove box!

Get a Grip on Your Tire Tread!

The tread on your tires provides important traction in all kinds of weather, even when it is dry and sunny. The official minimum safe tread amount is 2/32 of an inch, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), but the NHTSA has an easier trick to judge your tread depth: slide a penny into the tread with Lincoln’s head pointing down. Can you see the top of his head? Time to replace those tires!

In your regular rounds checking the well-being of your tires, do not forget to run the same checks on your spare—too many people forget the lonely spare until they need it, and find that it is a flat as a pancake.

Don’t be caught unprepared! Keep your tires happy and your driving safe this winter!

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Keep Rolling: How to Keep Your Vehicle’s Tires Happy and Safe

Tire Safety: Maintenance Always

Your Tire Pressure Can Save You and Your Wallet

Get a Grip on Your Tire Tread!

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