6 signs your car is in need of new tires

Your car’s tires not only roll around to take you to places, they also provide traction and absorb impact from the rough road to keep you safe while you drive. During the summer months, your car’s tires get more beating than usual because the elevated temperatures cause the road and your car to overheat. In extreme heat, rubber, which is the main material of tires, weakens and deteriorates. That’s why it’s important to regularly check your tires for wear and tear, especially during the hot summer months.

Here’s a simple guide to help you recognize the signs that you probably need to replace the tires on your car:

Monitor the warning lights on your dashboard

Your dashboard contains all the indicators that you need for driving safely on the road. This includes a U-shaped indicator (for newer car models) that lights up when there’s a low tire pressure warning. A low tire pressure warning means that at least one of your car’s tires is deflating or is losing air. So, when you see the warning light, you should check your tires immediately to see if you need to re-inflate them or have them checked for more serious damage.

Check your tires’ tread pattern

Tires have treads that appear like patterned grooves and bumps on the tire’s rubber. These treads provide traction for your tires, and traction is important because it’s what prevents the tires from slipping or sliding on the road while you’re driving. If the treads on your car’s tires have become noticeably faded or smoothed over, it means that your tires are no longer getting enough traction against the road’s pavement and can increase the risk of sliding car accidents if you continue driving your car without replacing your worn-out tires.

Check for over inflation

Over inflation is the state of filling up your tires with too much air so that it becomes bulkier and rounder than its supposed to be. Having more air in your tires is not as good as it might appeal to you. An over inflated tire can cause more problems than an under inflated tire. Over inflation causes the treads along the center line of the tires to fade or wear more quickly than the treads along the sides. Over inflated tires are also more likely to blow up when it suddenly hits a pot hole or a steep bump and lead to life-threatening accidents.

Check for under inflation

Like over inflation, under inflation can cause several problems too. If your tires are under inflated, they will have poor traction and affect your car’s gas mileage negatively. Under inflation will also cause your tires’ treads along the side to fade more quickly because the sides become saggy when the tires roll on the road.

Check for cracks along your tires’ surface

Cracks and holes are indicative of material deterioration, friction and impact damage, and leaking. Cracks, especially deep ones, can result to future blow-ups and lead to car accidents when not properly inspected and resolved.

Check for other causes of tire problems or issues

If you have cracked tires, uneven fading of treads or feel unusual vibrations while driving, you should check for deeper causes such as misalignment of tires, suspension damage, or spring damage.

Whenever you notice these signs of tire damage but you’re unsure of what to do, take your car to a mechanic for a thorough inspection and have your tires replaced if they need replacing, re-inflated if they’re under inflated, de-inflated if they’re over inflated, or realigned if they’re misaligned. Whatever problem you encounter with your tires, there’s always a reasonable cause and a practical solution.

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