You may not particularly consider yourself a “car guy” or car person. Still, you do your due diligence and have your oil changed when needed and try to pay attention to obvious factors of your vehicle that may need attention. While you likely let your mechanic handle any needed repairs, you can do your part to notice when your vehicle may present a safety issue.
In particular, you should pay attention to your tires. Your tires literally keep your vehicle on the road, and if you do not have them replaced when necessary or do not check them periodically for issues, you may unknowingly put yourself and others on the road at risk of an accident.
Aspects to check
Tires can suffer wear in various ways and not every tire wears or suffers damage at the same rate. As a result, you should check all four tires and not just assume that checking one tire will provide the same results as the others. Some aspects that you want to check include the following:
- Wear patterns: As mentioned, not all tires wear at the same rate or in the same places. Wear patterns can indicate various issues with your tires, like over inflation or a rotation need.
- Rotating tires: After noting the wear patterns on your tires, you may suspect that they need rotating. Regular tire rotations can help keep the wear more even.
- Tire tread: Your tread represents one of the most important aspects of your tires. If your tires do not have the proper amount of tread, they could become too slick, which could result in issues with stopping and keeping your vehicle under control.
- Tire pressure: Tires can easily become under or overinflated. When this happens, your tires may not work as they should.
- Quality tires: Though tires can be an expensive part of your vehicle to replace, having quality tires can immensely impact your safety. Additionally, quality tires my last longer and save you money in the long run.
If you overlook the quality and safety of your tires, you could end up suffering a blow out, flat or other issue that could have various consequences. A flat tire may seem like a minor inconvenience, but if a tire blows, you could lose control and end up in a serious accident.
Tire-related accidents
Of course, even if you try to make sure your tires remain in working order, another driver could end up causing an accident due to issues with their tires or other factors. If you end up involved in such an incident and suffer serious injuries due to negligence, you may want to consider filing a personal injury claim to pursue compensation for damages.
