Are Your Tires Ready for Fourth of July Travel?

According to AAA, 60.6 million people are expected to hit the road during the Fourth of July holiday. But experts say that before you get on that road trip, you need to make sure that your tires are in good shape.

“It’s very important, right. Air pressure checks, tread checks and tire age. Those are the three main components of tire safety,” said Scott Brown, a manager at Discount Tire.

At Discount Tire’s Brooklyn Park location, safety is top of mind, as crews help folks right before they go on their big holiday road trips.

“Holiday weekends, we’re typically more busy,” Brown said. “Doing the air pressure checks, doing tire inspections — ‘Hey I’m going out of town, I’m going to Michigan, can you check my treads?’ You know, all those type of things.”

To the rest of the America, this week is all about Independence Day. However, the tire manufacturing industry has dubbed this as “National Tire Safety Week.”

Brown says a few things can happen if you don’t check the condition your tires.

“Stopping distances can be increased or decreased depending on inflation,” Brown said. “When you have vehicle load, you have a trailer, you have all those coolers, the tire can become overheated and that can create some issues with tires starting to bulge or separate due to overheat.”

Tire pressure check

Checking your tire pressure is one of the first things you should do before a long trip.

It’s one of the services Discount Tire provides as a courtesy, but people are encouraged to do this on their own about once a month when tires are cool. Incorrect tire pressure can lead to uneven wear and poor gas mileage.

Then, there’s the tread on your tires.

“If Discount Tire is not available after hours, you can always use a penny to check your tread depth as well,” Brown said. “Basically if you can see Lincoln’s head, it’s time to replace your tires.”

Whereas if you place a penny in the tread on a new tire, Lincoln’s head is completely covered. It’s a simple tip to help you get from point A to point B without any issues.

If Lincoln’s head is visible when you stick a penny into a tread groove, it’s time to replace your tire.

Discount Tire recommends drivers keep in mind the following five tips for tire safety:

• Check your tread to ensure your vehicle has enough left to provide a safe stopping distance. Drivers can also check tread depth at home by sticking a penny upside down in a tread groove — it’s time to replace the tire if Lincoln’s head is visible.
• Check your tire air pressure at least once a month when the tires are cool — especially before a long trip. Incorrect pressure can lead to poor handling, worse gas mileage, and uneven wear. Hot summer temperatures affect tire pressure, for every 10 degrees in ambient temperature change, the tire air pressure changes 1 psi.
• Rotate your tires every 6,000 miles or earlier if uneven wear develops.
• Replace tires that are six years old or older. Rubber becomes harder and brittle as it ages, so drivers should check the age of their tires on the DOT number stamped on the tire’s sidewall.
• Check your trunk to see what equipment your car contains for tire emergencies, such as tire inflation kits that include puncture-coating sealants and air compressors.

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