For many of us, summer brings trips to family and friends, taking the kids out to parks, museums, and other city offerings. However, tire safety is paramount because of the increased wear and tear on our cars. Although tires are resilient enough to offer us thousands of miles of service, to ensure longevity and offer the most protection, one should ensure that they are maintained properly.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, proper protection helps to avoid tire breakdowns and potential crashes. In addition, maintaining one’s tires also ensures increased tire life and can even help with better fuel economy. Thus, it is recommended that one take time every month to check each tire by following these simple steps:
Tire Safety Checklist
- Check Tire Pressure (recommended twice a month). This includes the spare tire. You wouldn’t want to have a flat and then find out your spare is of no use!
- Inspect tires to ensure all wear patterns are even. For example, check for foreign objects embedded in the tires, cracks, strange tread patterns, and other signs of trauma or wear.
- Ensure all tire valves have valve caps.
- Check the tire pressure regularly, especially before going on an extended trip.
- Maintain proper vehicle loading! Your car’s loading information should be found in the owner’s manual. Ensuring that the car does not go past the maximum recommended load set for the vehicle will place less wear on the tire and help to avoid overloading, which can cause tire breakdown and crashes.
- The above should also apply when towing trailers. Ensure that the loaded trailer’s weight is transferred correctly to the towing vehicle. Once again, overloading and going over the maximum allotted weight can be disastrous on your tires.
Aside from these important tire safety measures, there are also safety tips that you can follow when driving:
- If you see a pothole or object in the road, slow down! When applicable, try to go around these objects while still ensuring proper traffic laws.
- Before you step into your car, look at each tire to ensure there are no foreign objects, such as nails or glass, that could harm your tire as you pull out.
- Avoid running over the curb, and take care when parking – such as avoiding hitting the curb when pulling into a designated spot.
Remember to check your tires monthly and your tire pressure at least twice a month. During colder seasons, tires lose air much faster, and during particularly cold snaps, one should check the tire pressure every week. For this reason, it is recommended that a tire pressure gauge be purchased and kept inside your vehicle. These can be purchased at a highly affordable cost and are located at gas stations, auto supply stores, tire dealerships, and many other locations.
The above steps only take minutes to perform but could save a life and avoid a car accident.
Contact The Houston Personal Injury Lawyers at Baumgartner Law Firm for Help
If you have been injured in an accident in Houston, TX, and need help, contact our Houston car accident lawyers at Baumgartner Law Firm by calling (281) 587-1111.
Baumgartner Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers
6711 Cypress Creek Pkwy
Houston, TX 77069
(281) 587-1111
Source: http://www.nhtsa.gov/Vehicle+Safety/Tires