5 Telltale Signs It May Be Time For New Tires
When it comes to vehicle safety, few things are as important as your tires and you should regularly inspect them to ensure they’re in good shape before taking your car out on the road. Tire safety is much more than just tire pressure. Familiarize yourself with these 5 signs that your tires may need to be replaced.
- They’re Bald – This is the most obvious, but often time the most overlooked safety hazard. Bald tires can cause hydroplaning, decreased stopping ability and are much more susceptible to flats from road hazards. Any tire shop will happily measure your tread depth. Additionally, your tires are equipped with a Tread Wear indicator that you can easily see yourself. This is a piece of tire that runs perpendicular to your tire tread. If you’ve reached this depth, you’re tires are not safe to drive on.
- Cracks – Aged tires, or tires that sit for long periods of times like on travel trailers or utility trailers can develop cracks in the tread. Look carefully in between your tire tread to see if your tires have cracks. If they do, they’re more susceptible to a blow out and should be replaced.
- Gouge in Sidewall – We’ve all hit a curb or a big pothole. If you’re inspecting your tires and find a gouge in your sidewall, the tire should be replaced. Sidewalls are thinner than the tread area of your tire and cannot be repaired.
- Uneven wear – A vehicle this isn’t properly aligned can cause the tires to wear unevenly which can cause your vehicle to pull in one direction or another. When inspecting your tires, be sure that they are wearing evenly. Additionally, you should align your vehicle every 30,000 miles or so.
- You’re driving on a spare – Never drive on a spare tire longer than it takes to get to a safe location. Spare tires are meant to be used for short periods of time and are not intended to be used for regular driving. If you’re driving on a spare tire, get to a tire shop to get a real replacement tire.
Driving can be dangerous, but even more so if you’re driving on tires that are not fit for the road. By inspecting your vehicles tires regularly, you can avoid an accident, hydroplane or another potentially dangerous situation.
Your safety is our top priority and getting you the right insurance is part of that. If you have questions about your auto or other vehicle insurance, contact our agency. We can review your current policy or provide an insurance quote.
A Accelerated Auto Insurance was founded in 1992 by a group of independent insurance agents. Their vision was to provide affordable auto insurance rates to all customers regardless of driving record or credit history. This vision allowed them to quickly build a large, loyal customer base. In 2006 Jared Fuller began his career with Accelerated Insurance as a customer service representative. Over the next 10 years Accelerated expanded its reach to offer home and business insurance in addition to auto. In 2015 Jared’s wife, Cristy Fuller, also started working for the company. During the year 2016, they became the sole owners of Accelerated Insurance. Advances in technology allow Jared, Cristy, and a small staff to continue to grow while still providing excellent service to their existing policy holders. They continue to maintain the same vision of savings and service for Northeast Louisiana.
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