Tire safety impacts your vehicle’s handling, braking, and overall road safety. While regular professional inspections remain the gold standard for tire maintenance, knowing how to conduct basic safety checks between professional service visits could prevent a catastrophic accident.
Professional Tire Inspection Guidelines
Ideally, you should schedule regular tire inspections with qualified professionals according to manufacturer guidelines. Professional technicians have specialized equipment and expertise to detect problems that might not be visible to the untrained eye. They can measure tread depth accurately and identify alignment issues that could lead to premature tire wear.
When professional inspection isn’t immediately available, several key checks can help evaluate your tires’ safety. Here’s what you should examine:
Understanding Tire Wear & Pressure Problems
Start by checking tire pressure. Underinflated tires can overheat, while overinflated tires reduce traction and handling. Both conditions can increase the risk of accidents.
Different wear patterns indicate specific problems. Center wear suggests overinflation, while wear on both edges indicates underinflation. Uneven wear across the tire might signal alignment problems or worn suspension components.
Checking Your Tire’s Tread Depth
Adequate tread depth ensures proper water displacement and traction. While professionals use precise measuring tools, you can perform a basic tread check using these methods:
- Use a tread depth gauge (available at auto parts stores)
- Try the penny test: Insert a penny head-first into the tread groove. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, your tread depth is too low.
- Check the tread wear indicators – raised bars between treads that become visible when depth reaches 2/32 inch
How To Do a Visual Inspection of Your Tires
Examine your tires in good lighting. Look for:
- Bulges or blisters on tire sidewalls
- Cracks in the rubber
- Uneven wear patterns
- Foreign objects embedded in the tires
- Exposed steel belts or cords
- Dry rot (small cracks throughout the rubber)
When to Replace Aging or Worn Tires
You can check your tire’s age by locating the DOT code on the side wall. The last four numbers indicate the manufacturing week and year. Many manufacturers recommend replacing tires after 6-10 years, regardless of tread depth, as rubber compounds degrade over time.
Regular tire rotation promotes even wear and extends tire life. Most vehicles need rotation every 5,000-8,000 miles. Vibrations while driving can indicate unbalanced tires, which require professional attention.
Since all tires and vehicles are different, it is important to follow your manufacturer’s recommendations.
Contact the Tire Defect Attorneys at The Ammons Law Firm for a Free Consultation
If you’ve been involved in an accident caused by tire failure, the experienced attorneys at The Ammons Law Firm can evaluate your case and protect your rights. Our team has recovered billions of dollars for clients injured by defective products and corporate negligence. We understand the technical aspects of tire design and manufacturing, working with top experts to prove liability.
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Led by founding attorney Rob Ammons, The Ammons Law Firm is a Houston-based personal injury firm representing clients nationwide in catastrophic injury and wrongful death litigation. Backed with more than three decades of experience, The Ammons Law Firm focuses on complex liability cases and has successfully recovered over $2 billion for clients wrongfully injured or killed by corporate and governmental wrongdoing.
