Burning Rubber

The government, media, manufacturers and consumers in this country spend a lot of time and energy worrying about how safe our cars are. We want more air bags and sensors that show if anything is behind or to the side of our cars. We have cars that can park themselves and cars that stop or slow down when we aren’t paying attention. There are features that can even wake us up if we are falling asleep at the wheel. We have laws that restrict what we can do while we are driving, like drinking alcohol, texting, or taking prescription drugs. There are anti-lock breaks and traction control devices that slow you down and get you going in slick conditions.

All of these things are great and we should put time and attention into them, but don’t forget about your tires. Tires are the only thing from your vehicle that actually contact the ground. If your tires are bald you can’t stop, no matter what other safety features you have.

The old standard for checking the tread depth on your tires is to take a penny and stick it in the tread with Abe pointed head down. If you can see all of Abe’s head it is time to replace your tires. Now that is just one way to check, but keep in mind that there are a ton of different sizes of tires and wheels that have many different applications. When in doubt find a good tire shop and check with them.

You will be amazed at what a good tire can do for your car.