Tread Carefully: Safe Tires Equal a Safe Family

TREAD CAREFULLY Safe Tires Equal a Safe Family U.S. drivers put more than 2,969 billion miles on their tires According to the National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey: · Every year, an estimated 90 people die and 3,200 receive injuries in crashes influenced by tire aging 1 Under-inflation is the leading cause of tire failure 1 1in 4 cars have at least one tire that is significantly underinflated 1 Only 19% of consumers properly check and inflate their tires How Deep is Your Tread? The Quarter Test The Penny Test Tread Indicator 1 Insert a quarter into the tire's tread groove with Washington's head upside down and facing you. 1 Check your tire's treadwear indicator bar, I Insert a penny into the tire's tread groove with Lincoln's head upside down and facing you. located at the bottom of the tread grooves. I If the tread touches the top of Washington's head, you have at least 4/32" remaining. I If you can see all of Lincoln's head, tread depth is less than 2/32" and it's I When the bars are flush with the adjacent ribs, there's less than 2/32" tire replacement time. tread remaining. Time to Replace Your Tires? Vehicles with tire tread depth of 2/32" or less were 3 times more likely to experience tire problems before a crash than vehicles with tread depth between 3/32" and 4/32". Normal Hydroplane For safe rainy and wet-road driving, replace tires when they reach 4/32" of remaining tread depth. If water can't escape through the tire's grooves fast enough, the car will hydroplane. For snow-covered roads, replace tires when they reach 5/32" of remaining tread depth. More tread depth is necessary for snowy conditions so the tires can compress the snow. Cracks in tire rubber develop over time. Regardless of tread life, replace tires, including spares, 6–10 years after their production date. If a car travels 6,000 miles or less per year, treads may not be a good gauge Decoding the Sidewall Aspect ratio: height of the sidewall from rim to tread compared to width Internal construction: Width: in millimeters radial 205/50 R 15 Wheel diameter: in inches DOT code: 4-digit Department of Transportation code 1 The first 2 numbers: the week the tire was made Treadwear rating: tread durability I The second 2 numbers: the year TRACTION A TEMPERATURE A the tire was made Traction rating: traction on a wet surface; AA is the best, Cis the worst Temperature rating: ability to withstand heat at high speeds; A is the best, Cis the worst Keep Tires From Tiring Out Too Soon Maintaining tires can increase: Fuel economy: Under-inflated The lifetime of your tires Safety for you, your passengers, and others on the road tires can increase fuel costs by 3-5 cents per gallon Inflate tires according to your car's requirements: TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION Cars manufactured in 2006 or later have a tire information card on the driver's side door. SEATING CAPACITY TOTAL 5 FRONT 2 REAR 3 The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX Ibs ORIGINAL TIRE SIZE COLD TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE FRONT 200kPa, 29PSI SEE OWNER's P195/70R14 MANUAL FOR REAR 200kPa, 29PSI ADDITIONAL COMPACT SPARE TIRE COLD TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE INFORMATION T125/70D15 420kPa, 60PSI In older cars, the card is usually located in the glove box. I PSI: tire pressure in pounds per square inch 1 Tires may lose 1 psi every month 1 Keep a tire pressure gauge in your car and check the pressure of all 4 tires every 3,000 miles. Rotate tires every Get a wheel alignment check every other oil change. Improper alignment can wear down Have your tires checked annually for rubber breakdown, which is 6,000-8,000 miles to equalize treadwear. accelerated by heat and sunlight. tires faster. Tire safety is an integral-yet often overlooked – component of overall driving safety. Taking the right precautions will save you money, worry, and most importantly, keep you and others safe. safercar.gov nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov goodyearautoservice.com marinediesel.info tirerack.com edmunds.com caranddriver.com dummies.com tiresafety.com firestonecompleteautocare.com Brought to you by FIX TREADWEAR 200 DOT 2613