How Often Do You Check the Air Pressure in Your Tires?

Posted: Jun 13, 2012
Author: Country Town Tire & Auto Service Center

When did you last check the air pressure in your tires? It’s easy to overlook air pressure because we simply don’t notice anything wrong with our vehicles. They start, stop and go just fine. While it might seem that way, you could be in for a big shock when you’re suddenly forced to slow down or swerve to avoid an accident – perhaps on a wet or icy road.

When tires are underinflated, the bulk of the vehicle’s weight falls on the tire tread under the sidewalls, instead of being evenly spread across the tires’ full width. When the tire turns, the sidewall constantly gets squished and flexed. It heats up and seriously affects safety and performance.

An underinflated tire also degrades the handling of a vehicle. Steering response feels “mushy” due to the continual flexing of the sidewall. In addition, the flexing of the sidewall builds up heat and stress which can lead to an actual blowout.

It cannot be emphasized enough – have your tire pressure checked at least once a month. Make this easier to remember by designating the first day of every month as tire pressure check day. Get into the habit of giving your tires a regular once-over in case there are bulges or cuts in the sidewalls, or uneven wear patches.

Don’t Overinflate!

An overinflated tire is also bad. The tread can’t make full contact with the road because the vehicle is riding mainly on the center of the tread. This not only makes for a stiff ride; it also affects road grip.