- Image by Lee Coursey via Flickr
When The Treads On Your Car’s Tires Wear Down
Tires wear down over time. As they do, your ability to control your car erodes. Under normal circumstances (for example, driving at regular traffic speeds during dry weather conditions), that may not be a safety issue. However, inclement weather can cause slippery roads. One mistake behind the wheel can potentially send your vehicle skidding across the road without the ability to grip or provide traction.
It’s important to realize that the rubber on your treads is constantly wearing down. Driving creates friction between the rubber and the road; after prolonged use, they become worn. When they reach the halfway point, they become a safety issue. They endanger not only yourself, but other motorists. Below, we’ll explore the danger that worn treads can represent and the effects of their wearing down. I’ll also provide a few tips that you can use to check your car’s tires.
Understanding The Potential Danger
As noted, normal weather isn’t nearly as dangerous as wet weather. But, when the roads become wet, the moisture on them can cause hydroplaning. New wheels have rubber in which deep grooves are set. The moisture on the road goes into the grooves, allowing your tires to touch and grip the road.
Now, imagine that you’re driving on treads where the grooves are half worn away. Because the grooves are worn – and thus, shallower – the moisture does not seep into them as deeply. That limits the ability of your tires to gain traction on the road. In sudden stop situations, hydroplaning is practically unavoidable. That can cause your vehicle to careen into other drivers, or worse, pedestrians.
The Effects Of Wearing
When your wheels wear down, they can cause a number of problems, especially in rainy or snowy weather. For example, when you’re driving in the snow, the grooves in your wheels allow them to bite into the surface, increasing their grip. Worn treads reduce this grip. Also, your car has an increased tendency to hydroplane at lower speeds. The shallower the grooves are, the less capable they are of channeling the water; therefore, the less grip your tires can maintain on the road.
Tips For Improving Your Safety
Millions of drivers routinely check their car’s oil and even the air pressure, but fail to inspect the level of wearing in their treads. It’s easy to do; a reliable way to measure requires a penny. Insert the penny inside the grooves with Lincoln’s head facing down. If any of the grooves are not deep enough to partially hide Lincoln’s head, the treads have worn down too far. Even if the topmost portion of his head is submerged in the crevice, the rubber will have already lost some of its road-gripping ability.
Spending money to replace one or more of your tires may not be pleasant, but doing so can protect you, your passengers, and other drivers from a collision.
Tags: Car Maintenance, Car Maintenance, Car Tips, Car Tires, Check Tire Pressure, Tire Pressure, Tire Tread, Vehicles