When it comes to driving safety, we often forget about our tires. Here are some things you need to know about tire safety. #TireSafetyFirst #MyDiscountTire #spon
It’s true, isn’t it? You get a new set of tires and then forget about them. We drive the kids to school, go to the grocery store, drive to work & take vacations. And, of course, there are always soccer, football & little league games, dentist appointments, and other family events.
If you think about it, we rely quite a bit on our vehicles. Shouldn’t tire safety be high on our list of priorities where vehicle maintenance is concerned?
I sold my car recently, so, if I have to go to Phoenix for work, I usually take my husband’s truck. The other day, however, he noticed that his tires we looking rather worn. He had only had them for a couple of years and hadn’t yet reached the guaranteed mileage, so, with the unpredictable winter weather, we decided to have them looked at.
It gets pretty cold at night, and when it rains, the roads can become icy. Ice is a scary thing, since without proper tire traction, you can easily slip and slide, and even lose control of your vehicle. I have even seen cars hydroplane and spin out on the freeway when it was raining. Like I said – scary. It’s also important to have good tire traction when there’s snow, especially on snow tires. Not sure what type of tires you need when it’s snowing? This article explains the different types. If you live in a colder climate, be sure you know how to be safe when the temperatures dip below 45 degrees – see these tips.
I immediately went to the Discount Tire website so that I cold make an appointment. Luckily, I was able to make one right away. Once we arrived, I was happy to see the sign indicating that the inspection would be free, {even though we had purchased the tires elsewhere}, as well as filling the tires with air, if needed. {We also learned that tire rotations are free, too!}
As we were waiting to be helped, a couple of displays caught my attention. One talked about tread depth and what the recommendations are at each depth. A depth of 6/32 or more and you’re good to go. 4/32 – 5/32 indicates diminished traction when conditions are wet and the risk of hydroplaning is higher. 3/32 or less indicates that your tires are at 100% wear, and replacement is strongly recommended. *For the most accurate reading, measurements must be taken at the shallowest point.
The other was in regards to whether or not a tire was repairable. Anything in the middle of the tire {the red section} is able to be repaired. Any screws or nails on the shoulder or sidewall {outside of the red area}, and you’ll need to get a new tire. This is extremely helpful when considering whether to use a self-sealing product or letting the professionals handle it.
We didn’t have to wait long for our turn, and once we told Alex we were there for a tire inspection, he immediately headed to where our truck was parked.
He was even kind enough to explain all the things he as looking for during the tire safety inspection:
- chunking
- feathering
- cracking
- uneven wear – may indicate tire rotation is needed
- air check
- tire indication light on dashboard
- spare tire check – sometimes the indicator light is triggered by the spare
The entire inspection only took about 15 minutes.
Unfortunately, this is what our tires looked like. As you can see, there was a significant amount of wear, including loss of tread depth and chunking. A couple of the other tires even showed cracking.
Needless to say, we were in need of new tires. Alex could have simply told us we needed to return to where the tires were originally purchased to utilize the warranty, but, he was kind enough to spend a few minutes on the phone taking care of things for us. That one phone call saved us $400. Not only that, he said it would only take about an hour to install them.
Discount Tire earned more than my respect. From now on, I have full confidence that I will be taken good care of every time I go in there.
Not sure if your tires are road-worthy? Take a few minutes to schedule a free tire safety inspection on the Discount Tire website.
For more information on tire safety, please read this article on the Discount Tire website.
Comments