1. According to most state laws, tires are legally
worn out when they have worn down to 2/32" of
remaining tread depth. Tread wear can be
identified by using U.S. coins substituted for a
tire tread depth gauge as tires wear. Consult
your local tire retailer if you need help with the
condition of your tires.
office setup
2. No matter where you live, or what time of the year it happens to be, there
is always the potential for inclement weather Any time it rains or snows
and you get behind the wheel of your car, you can be faced with driving
risks Depending on road conditions and your driving speed, stopping on
wet roads can take up to four times the normal distance And if your tires
are worn they can hydroplane, or skim over the surface of the road
with little or no traction Unfortunately, there are more people than you
may realize who are sharing the road while driving on worn tires
Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
conducted a study of 11,500 cars, pickup trucks, vans, and sport-utility
vehicles and found that nearly 50% had at least one tire with half-worn
tread wear Another 10% had at least one bald tire
3. Worn tires especially bald ones office setup can be deadly on wet
roads, where the grooves aren't deep enough to channel water out from
beneath the tread The result is hydroplaning, where the tread wear allow
the tire to skim the water's surface and the vehicle no longer responds to
the steering wheel Wet weather braking and snow traction also decrease
with tread wear on balder tires Industry advocates like the Rubber
Manufacturers Association (RMA) remind drivers to check their vehicle's
tires as part of regular seasonal maintenance
4. According to RMA research, two out of three drivers don't know how to
tell if their tires are bald The accepted standard for tires to be considered
bald is when one or more of their grooves reach 2/32 of an inch deep,
compared with about 10/32 of an inch for new tires FYI - tire tread wear
is usually measured in 1/32-inch increments To make bald tires easier
for owners to spot, manufacturers have placed a series of molded
horizontal bars at the base of the grooves As the tire treads wears away
the bars become flush with surrounding tread when the groove's depth
reaches 2/32 of an inch Traditional tread condition has been easily
checked with a Lincoln penny Placing the penny upside down within the
tread, if you saw the top of Lincoln's head, the tire needed to be replaced
However, testing shows that you should consider changing tires sooner
There is quite a dramatic difference between the stopping distance of a
tire with 2/32- inch of tread compared to 4/32
5. Using a quarter will help you quickly find out if you have 4/32- inch of
tread left If you can see the top of Lincoln's wig, then it is time to get new
tires Since tire tread provides the gripping action and traction to prevent
a vehicle from slipping and sliding, a tire is not safe and should be
replaced when the tread is worn down to 1/16th of an inch Not only is it
extremely important for your driving safety to ensure that your tires have
ample tread, but it's also very important to make sure your tires are
properly inflated It can't be stressed enough if you drive on tires that
are bald or substantially under-inflated you risk injury, or worse, to you,
your passengers, and other drivers on the road It's important to
understand the risks you face as a driver when driving in challenging
weather conditions and the affect worn tires can have
6. Winter Grip Slips On Worn Tires Deep grooves and an array of small
slits, known as "sipes," help new tires bite into snow Shallower tread and
worn-away sipes reduce snow grip, affecting traction on acceleration and
overall braking performance Summer Rain and Hydroplaning Starts
Sooner As Your Tread Wears Away Common sense should tell you that
the faster you drive on wet pavement, the greater the risk of hydroplaning
Simply put, higher speeds allow less time for water to escape through
the tread grooves Shallower tread worsens that situation by allowing
more water to stay beneath the tire Less Tread = Longer Wet-Weather
Stops Reduced wet-weather braking can be even more dangerous than
hydroplaning Compared with new tires, well-worn tires take much longer
to stop, even on vehicles equipped with anti-lock braking systems To
better protect motorists, the NHTSA has launched a tire safety campaign
called: "Tire Safety: Everything Rides on It " Through ads, brochures and
radio ads, the campaign advises car owners to check their tires monthly,
as well as prior to a long trip, to be sure they have safe tread wear, and
will stress the importance of proper tire inflation and vehicle load limits
7.
8. About Belle Tire People have trusted Belle Tire for the best value since
1922 Because at Belle Tire we challenge ourselves every day to make
sure that you always get the lowest tire price, period Prove it to yourself
Take the Belle Tire Price Challenge Challenge us online, over the phone
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we'll check other stores' prices with you, right at the counter, and prove to
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you'll always get out the door with more value, services and protection
with every tire installation than the competition can offer, at any price! For
the Lowest Tire Price, Period and great low prices on Custom Wheels,
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