Most experts agree that poor maintenance of a vehicles wheel is a huge risk that motorists can avoid because it is something so within our control. Proper tire care ranges from avoiding uneven tire wear to making sure tire pressure is adequate. Both of which if left unchecked can lead to poor performance or even blow outs especially in cheap tires; all things that can lead to loss of vehicle control and potential accident.
If you asked the majority of drivers out there they would agree that tires are an important component to their vehicle. Despite this fact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that tire failure is the cause of more than four hundred deaths and over ten thousand non-fatal accidents.
Most statistics also show that a lot of drivers don’t even follow basic tire maintenance according to the tires guidelines. For example many Car Care locations across the country will support car care month and offer free inspections. The Car Care Council provided one of these not too long ago and found 26 percent of drives had low pressure in one or more of their tires. According to the RMA, Rubber Manufactures Association under inflation is the leading cause of tire failure.
What causes a tire blow-out? Aside from the obvious rubber puncturing destroyers like pot holes and road debris, improper tire inflation either too much or too little will inevitably cause the tire to blow. The amount of air in the tire will either cause too much or too little pressure and heat. When there is too much air the tire will become abnormally hot because the particles heat up and have nowhere to go. If the air pressure is too small then there is no support to the side walls and the tire folds over itself causing unnatural wear on the rubber, this is especially important to look for when searching tires for sale.
To avoid the risk of inflation related issues it is recommended that you check your tire pressure at least once per month. This can be done at a local car care facility or on your own if you own a tire pressure gauge. Drastic changes in temperature can lead to change in tire pressure because as the air heats and cools it will expand or contract the air particles in the tire. According to the RMA, every 10 degree temperature change can change the tire pressure by one to two pounds per square inch.