The Importance of Proper Tire Pressure

Maintaining the condition of your tires is important for overall vehicle performance, longevity, and for safety reasons. If your tires fall into disrepair, not only will it affect other components of your vehicle, but it may also affect your safety. One way to insure that your tires stay in top shape is to keep your tires inflated to proper levels.

Tire pressure is the maximum recommended allowable amount of air that should be in your tires, affecting how much weight you vehicle can carry and how it performs overall. Tire pressure is measured in PSI, or pounds per square inch. Each tire has a PSI measurement printed on its side. However, this number is the maximum amount of air the tire can hold, not the proper inflation for your tires. Tires are manufactured to fit a number of different vehicles, and thus the correct pressure for your tires may be different than that of another car with the same tires. That number can be found in your vehicle information book or on the vehicle information placard, permanently adhered to the edge of the vehicle door, the trunk lid, or inside the glove compartment.

You should check the pressure in your tires once per month with a pressure gauge. Tire pressure cannot be accurately guessed visually, since both under-inflated and overinflated tires can appear properly-inflated. Even if you think your tires are properly inflated, your tires slowly lose air over time and can also suddenly lose air over bumps and obstacles in the road. Therefore, it is important perform routine maintenance on your tires to keep them in top condition.

You should always check the pressure in your tires when they are cold, meaning that they have not been driven on for at least three hours. During driving, tires heat up and the air inside expands, therefore giving an inadequate pressure reading. If you have been driving and your tire is low, you should still fill it to the recommended PSI on your vehicle information placard, despite the fact that it is warm from driving. Although still under-inflated, it is safer to drive with a tire that is slightly low rather than significantly low. Remember to recheck your the pressure at the end of your trip and inflate your tires to their proper levels.

Maintaining proper tire pressure can extend the life of your vehicle, improve your gas mileage, and can improve the overall safety performance of your vehicle in the event of an accident. For more information about vehicle maintenance, safety, and accident prevention, visit the website of Stevens Point car accident lawyers of Habush Habush & Rottier, S.C.