Driving a vehicle comes with a lot of different things you have to pay attention to. Some of these are simple and obvious like making sure your car has enough gas to get you wherever you are going. However, there are other factors in car maintenance that don’t seem as pressing but are just are crucial. Making sure your tires are properly inflated could be the difference in getting you to your destination safely and finding yourself stuck on the side of the road or worse.
When to Check Your Tire Pressure
You will get the most accurate tire pressure reading if you check your tires in the morning before driving your vehicle. It is likely that you will have an increased pressure reading when the tires are hot either from the weather or from driving, so checking before you drive and when the day is cooler is your best shot at an accurate read. During colder weather seasons, you will most likely experience a drop in tire pressure, so you will want to be sure to maintain the appropriate levels by adding air. To be safe, especially if you don’t have a digital gage on your dashboard, you will want to check your tires once a week or, at a minimum, once a month. Any time you are planning on being on the road for an extended amount of time it is wise to check your tire pressure as well.
The Dangers of Over Inflating
When you are inflating your tires, you want to be sure to get the manufacturer recommended PSI level. Going over the recommended amount for your vehicle can have serious consequences. Not only will over inflating your tires result in a less smooth ride, but your vehicle will have compromised handling because the traction will not be at full capacity. This is especially dangerous in inclement weather when your control over the vehicle is crucial to your safety. With over inflating, you will also wear the tread on your tires faster meaning you will have to replace your tires sooner than normal, but it also makes you susceptible to blow outs as your tires will not be as resistant to damage from things that might happen on the road like hitting unexpected bumps or curbs.
The Dangers of Under Inflating
While over inflating your tires can be dangerous, under inflated tires are one of the leading causes of tire failure. A flatter tire causes more surface area of the rubber to hit the ground, and the increased traction causes more heat to your tires which can heighten your chances of a blow out or, at the very least, faster wear and tear on your tires. A blow out on the road can cause serious injury or even death to the people in your vehicle and potentially the people near you on the road, so it is important to have the right amount of tire pressure in all four of your tires!
