Bald Tires & When to Change Tires When it comes to tires, bald isnt beautiful-its downright dangerous. Bald tires increase the risk of a crash, especially in bad weather. And the frightening truth is that more than 1 out of every 10 vehicles on the road has at least one bald tire. What Is a Bald Tire? The part of a tire that contacts the road is called the tread, and this tread wears down over time. When a tires tread is completely worn down to the wear bars, you have a bald tire. And if your vehicle has bald tires, you need new tires right away-driving on bald tires is not safe. Worn Tires Are Dangerous When it rains, the grooves in a tire help channel water away so the tire can maintain contact with the road. This helps reduce the chance of hydroplaning. But the grooves on a worn tire tread are too shallow to effectively evacuate water from beneath the tire. Driving on bald tires in rain can result in anything from difficulty stopping to a complete loss of vehicle control. Driving on bald tires in snow is risky too. A tires tread pattern-including sipes- gives it a bunch of biting edges that help it dig into snow. A bald tire loses these edges and makes it harder to both start and stop your vehicle. Even on dry roads, bald tires are more prone to tire failure and more easily punctured. Its not hard to see why-a bald tire is literally thinner at the tread than a new tire, so its easier for a nail or other object to cause a flat tire. Worn out tires can make any drive perilous. If youre wondering when to change tires, its a very good idea to get rid of your worn tires before they contribute to a collision. Too many people wait to buy new tires until theyre driving on bald tires in rain and realizing their wheels are spinning. Dont postpone something as important as safety. When are Tires Worn Out? If your tires are worn down to the tire wear bars, you have bald tires and need to buy new ones as soon as possible. But even a partially worn tire is risky. Worn tires can cause a reduction in your ability to stop as quickly as you need to. Even a half worn tire tread can increase your stopping distance by several car lengths. Using a tread depth gauge is one of the most accurate ways to determine when to change tires. But if you dont have one handy, all you need is a quarter: Insert a quarter head first into one of the grooves on your tire. If you can see the top of Washingtons head, its time to find new tires. Dont let worn tires ruin your drive. Driving on bald tires is dangerous, so replace your worn out tires before they cause an accident.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 12:29:40 +0000
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