Essential Tire Maintenance: Checking Your Tread Depth
Your car’s tires connect your vehicle to the road, so it’s essential to ensure they are in good condition. It’s not just the tire pressure you need to monitor; you should also keep track of your tires’ tread depth.
Regularly checking and maintaining your tires can help ensure a safe driving experience and prevent problems down the road. Let’s examine why you should monitor your tread depth and how to do it correctly.
The Benefits of Monitoring Tire Tread Depth; The Why
Monitoring your tire tread depth is important because it affects the traction and grip of your car on the road. If you have worn tire treads, there is less contact with the ground. This makes it more difficult to drive safely in wet or slippery conditions without losing grip and then control of the vehicle.
Worn tires also make it harder for cars to stop quickly over a short distance, so having the right amount of tread is critical for safety. You might face rainy conditions, slick mud, loose sand & gravel, all of which can increase the distance a car will travel before it stops. Worn tires will increase that distance even further.
How To Measure Tire Tread Depth
Measuring tire tread depth isn’t complicated; in fact, all you need is a penny! Simply insert the penny into several parts of each tire’s surface with Lincoln’s head pointing down toward the ground. If his head is still visible after insertion, then your tread depth is below 2/32 inches, and it’s time to replace them soon. If most or all of Lincoln’s head gets covered when you insert the penny, then your tire has enough tread and is safe for driving. It’s an easy way to check without any special equipment!
This is a simple and quick “at-home” recipe for measuring tread depth, but we strongly suggest you consult a professional to help care for your tires over time.
Having enough tread on your car’s tires does more than just keep you legal; it helps ensure a safe driving experience too! Periodic checks are necessary for optimal safety and performance; not only will you get better traction from new tires, but they will last much longer.
Checking your tire tread depth regularly with a simple penny test can save you from an expensive repair bill down the line! So take care of those tires—they’re what keep us connected to our roads!
Visit High Road Automotive in Seattle, WA., your partner in auto repair, and we’ll help you keep your tires in top shape with our preventative maintenance services! Please schedule an appointment today and see what makes us so popular in Ballard & beyond!
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