By Bill Corliss, Corliss Driving School

Your vehicle, also known as “old reliable,” has gotten you through miles of poor weather, traffic jams, and the occasional close call. In order for your car to treat you right you have to treat it right, keeping it in top functioning form.

Vehicle technology—and thus maintenance—has changed dramatically in recent years. These advances have improved safety and increased the complexity in vehicles. Even the tires on your car have been invested with technology that—if you keep apprised of it—will lower your risk of injury. Here are some key facts about tire safety in today’s cars, and some things you should know to be safe on the road.

Your vehicle has a tire and loading information sticker on the driver’s doorjamb. This sticker provides information on the proper pressure for each tire. Tire pressure should be checked only when tires are cold. Driving even a mile will increase the tire pressure and give you a false reading. Tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) on newer vehicles warn drivers of low tire pressure, but usually only when the tires are 25% under inflated. Since tire damage from under inflation can occur before this point, TPMS units should not replace monthly tire pressure checks with a gauge. Your newer car may also specify an optimal tire pressure for each tire’s position—front or back. If this is the case, when the tires are rotated you’ll need to input each tire’s new position into the system so it knows that each tire has a new optimal pressure. As the position of the tire changes, the information center has to adjust to the change so it doesn’t think the tire’s pressure is off just because it’s in a new location.

Tires should be replaced when the tread is less than 2/32 of an inch. You can visually check the tread by looking for the “wear bars,” which are built-in treadwear indicators that appear when there is less than 2/32 of an inch of tread remaining. During your next visit to replace tires, ask the mechanic to explain how these bars work and what they look like.

Proper alignment and balance must also be maintained and your tires should be rotated every 5,000–8,000 miles to avoid uneven and rapid treadwear. The Rubber Manufacturers Association has an outstanding consumer education report online at HYPERLINK “http://www.betiresmart.org” www.betiresmart.org.

Another important resource for vehicle maintenance and safety standards is your car manual. When you have a few moments, go through the booklet and read each caution notice. You will notice many related to tire safety, such as:

Cruise control can be dangerous on wet or slippery roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire traction can cause needless wheel spinning and you could lose control.
If you let your tires spin at high speed (such as in sand, mud, ice, or snow) they can explode or cause an engine compartment fire. When you are stuck, do not spin the wheels above 35 mph.
Overloading your tires can cause overheating from too much friction, which could result in a serious accident.
Mixing tires could cause you to lose control while driving. If you mix tires of different sizes or types (radial and bias-belted tires) the vehicle may not handle properly and you could crash.
Tire chains used on a vehicle without the proper amount of clearance can cause damage to the brakes, suspension, or other vehicle parts. To help avoid damage to your vehicle, drive slowly, readjust or remove the chains if they are in contact your vehicle and don’t spin your wheels.