Driving safely is a top priority of any responsible car owner. It’s not just out of the fear for your own safety and that of other passengers in your car. It’s also an ethical responsibility and a fear of causing preventable harm to others. Still, not everything is down to your prowess as a driver. If your car malfunctions or fails to respond to your action, a disaster may follow. Speaking of response and your control of the vehicle, tyre maintenance is an essential component when it comes to overall safety. So, here are several tips you need to know about this subject.

Readiness for weather conditions

Your car behaves differently under different weather conditions. For instance, the way in which your car’s oil behaves in certain weather conditions depends on its viscosity. This is why frequently changing the oil (and being mindful of the season while doing so) is paramount. Speaking of tyres, you need to keep in mind that different tyre treads are meant for different road conditions. A snowy, slippery and wet road doesn’t provide the same amount of traction as their standard (dry) counterpart.

Apart from this, considering the tyre maintenance, you also may have to prepare for the fact that different atmospheric occurrences may diminish your own ability to properly control the vehicle. For instance, heavy rain or snow may diminish your visibility, unless your windshield wiper blades are up to the task. Replacing them all is a simple and inexpensive task, one that you can easily handle on your own. Your fog lights may make a difference between being seen by other drivers and being completely overlooked. Needless to say, this can be a difference between life and death. Seeing as how these also change the dryness of the road, it is even more evident that the quality of your tyres is paramount.

The state of tyres

The state of tyres is pivotal for your control of the vehicle. This is why it’s paramount that the tread is just right. Other than this, your tyres need to be in adequate condition. Ideally, you would replace your tyres once every six years, however, it’s more reliable to be guided by the mileage. According to the majority of experts, you should replace them anywhere between 12,000 and 15,000 miles. In order to cut costs, you can always look for online tyres. This method would allow you to identify ideal tyres for your vehicle, since online platforms include all relevant tyre metrics (width, profile, rim, etc.) thus minimizing the possibility of error.

Rotating them regularly

One more thing worth mentioning is the fact that not all of your tyres get worn out at the same pace. This depends on the drive of your vehicle. For instance, if your car is an FWD, your front tyres will get worn out more quickly. The opposite goes for the vehicle which is RWD. All in all, the simplest way to preserve your tyres is to rotate them from time to time. It’s a simple tyre maintenance trick that you need to apply every 5,000 to 7,500 miles, but it can significantly prolong the usefulness of your tyres.

Properly inflating the tyres

The inflation of your tyres doesn’t just affect the safety of your vehicle, it’s also crucial for its fuel economy. The thing is that it takes you about 10 seconds to check if each tyre is properly inflated and about half-a-minute to properly inflate those that are not. So, ask yourself – is it really worth it to risk your life and assets (as well as lose money on poor fuel economy) because you don’t have several minutes to spare?

Additional safety tips

Every car is designed by the manufacturer to provide its driver with maximum safety. However, this is only true if the car is in its optimal form. If there’s been a prior collision, the chances are that your car’s integrity is compromised. You see, your car’s bumper is supposed to put an extra layer between your car and the vehicle in front/behind it. If there’s a tiny crack that you haven’t noticed, it could shatter during the next collision. This way, you would be putting lives in danger over your own negligence.

Conclusion

Of course, if you are reckless behind the wheel, no amount of tyre maintenance will be able to help you. Still, for a careful driver, proper car maintenance habits can make all the difference in the world. Fortunately, the above-listed tasks either take several minutes or need to be performed once every several months (even years). Being a car owner is both a privilege and a responsibility.