Despite the fact that wheels and tires are essential to a car’s stability, many drivers don’t give them a second thought. With winter here, it’s a good time to take a look and understand simple things to incorporate into your driving routine. But before diving in, here are some basics about tires.

Tire Types                     

• Standard Tires are made for all-seasons to deal with the demands of

various road conditions.

• High-performance tires are tailored to sports cars and more powerful

vehicles that require traction at high speeds. However, they do not perform

as well in adverse driving conditions.

• Touring tires strike a balance between standard and high-performance

for those that want a little of both. But because of that, they are not

recommended for snow driving.

• Light truck tires are usually associated with larger vehicles like SUVs or

• Snow tires are specifically designed for handling and traction during

winter weather conditions.

• Off-road tires are usually thicker than standard grade ones to prevent

damage from routine off-roading

Pressure Points

Since we’ve already looked at various types of tires, let’s examine a bit further. Now that the cold has officially arrived, it’s time to get serious. With that in mind, make sure your tires are properly inflated. Underinflated tires are dangerous because they increase the likelihood of a puncture, while overinflated tires provide you with less traction. Most cars have the recommended tire pressure in the driver’s side door or within the manual.

Time to Retire?

Before winter, one telltale sign of tire damage to look for is obvious tread separation. Stay away from used tires when thinking of buying a replacement because it’s harder to determine their history. But you can always check out the “born on date.” The last four digits of the numbered code tell you how old it is. Without factoring in different circumstances associated with use, new tires should generally last 50,000 miles.

Winter is a rough season for roads and tires. Potholes often produced during cold months can be aggravated by damage from the massive temperature fluctuations of early spring. So, how are you preparing your car for the season? Let us know in the comments.