Jack Williams

Check your Tires: It Could Save your life

Tire failure doesn't always mean that you'll be stuck on the side of the road, trying to mount your spare.

Tire failure can kill you.

A 79-year old Wisconsin man died in August from injuries sustained when his front passenger side tire blew out on a highway during rush hour. He lost control of his car and struck a tree. Firefighters had to extricate him from the wreckage.

Check your tires for damage or maintenance problems that could put you and your passengers at risk.

Is there enough air in your tires? By some estimates, half the cars on the road are underinflated. Unless you have a car with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), you should manually check your tire pressure at least once a month. Don't try to judge their inflation with your eyes.

One of the many problems caused by underinflated tires is increased stress to the tire's sidewalls, which can eventually lead to a blowout. Use your car's owner's manual to determine how much air should be in your front and rear tires.

Visually inspect your tires. Do you see any cracks or cuts? Bulges on the side? Your tires could be at imminent risk of failure. Replace any affected tires immediately.

Most tires today have wear bars that cut horizontally across the tread. You can see them when the rubber has worn down to the minimum safe level. If you can see your tires' wear bars, it's time to stop into your tire dealer for replacements.