How a tire gauge and other tools help you to avoid disaster

tire pressure winter auto care

A surprising number of crashes and accidents can be prevented with very small road safety efforts.

Many drivers fall into the routine of heading out the door and down the street every day, to the point that they have all but forgotten about using their tire gauge and other simple tools on a regular basis in order to help to prevent some extremely avoidable emergency situations.

Drivers aren’t necessarily careless or risk-takers but are pressed for time and don’t realize the importance of 2 minute efforts.

Tire failure is far more common than drivers realize and it is something that can often be predicted and prevented with a two minute effort every couple of weeks in bad weather and every month in good weather. A tire gauge, a tread depth gauge and a simple visual inspection can be exceptionally quick to conduct when using the right high quality tools and it can make sure that your vehicle is safe and easy to handle, not to mention functioning at its best fuel efficiency.

The tire gauge can help to alert you to a spectrum of different types of potential problems, before they happen.

tire pressure winter auto careTo start, they reveal the tire air pressure. At best, when your tires aren’t properly inflated, they reduce your mileage and make your vehicle more expensive to operate. Over time, that cost adds up very quickly. You wouldn’t voluntarily choose to go to a gas station selling fuel for 3 percent more than the competition next door, but if you aren’t keeping your inflation where it would be, then you may be burning through gas that much faster, costing you that much more.

That said, it’s not just a matter of fuel economy. Improperly inflated tires wear more quickly, wear unevenly and impact the performance of the vehicle. You may not be able to steer as smoothly or brake as quickly. When something unexpected happens, that can make all the difference between a safe avoidance and a deadly collision.

When the temperature outside is fluctuating quickly, it’s best to check your tire pressure at least every two weeks. When the temperature is steadier, do it at least once per month. Make a habit of it. For example, do it on the last or first day of every month. That way, you’re more likely to remember. Once you start doing it more regularly, you may be surprised to see how the pressure varies. Using your tire gauge will allow you to determine whether you should add or remove air from your tires – also a quick, easy and inexpensive process – and will keep you safer on the road.

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