7 ESSENTIAL TIRE SAFETY TIPS Brought to you by C&R Tire

C&R TIRE – ABOUT US

• At C&R Tire we realize how important your vehicle is to you, and that’s why we provide you with fast, affordable and reliable automotive repair and maintenance.

• As a family owned and operated business, we have been serving drivers in the greater Phoenix area since 1996.

• We offer complete automotive repair services in addition to selling a full line of tires.

• Our team of experts not only attends to emergency repairs but also specializes in routine maintenance such as belt replacements, oil changes, brakes, batteries, alignments and much more.

• Here, we’ll tell you some of our tips on routine tire maintenance to help keep you and your family safe.

IMPORTANCE OF TIRE SAFETY

• You might not fully realize how important your tires are

until you end up with a roadside blowout or flat…

• While road hazards like nails and other debris are often

unavoidable, there are several ways you can reduce your

risk of having tire trouble or ideally recognize the signs

before an issue occurs.

• With summer on the horizon and trips to the beach, pool,

picnics and camping booked on the calendar, now is a

better time than ever to make sure that your tires will be

ready for all that travel.

• Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a car expert to follow

any of these 7 essential tire safety tips!

1. KNOW HOW TO DO THE “PENNY TEST”

• Here’s a trick you’ve probably never heard of.

• You can check the depth of your tread with a penny! How’s that for easy?

• First off, it’s good to have an understanding of why tread is that important in

the first place.

• Tire tread has the extremely important job of allowing the tire to grip the road.

• This is the main safety aspect of the tread but when it comes to performance,

there are many other roles the tread plays.

• Regardless, you should be vigilant of the tread becoming too worn…

which leads us to the penny test.

• Take a penny and place the edge of the upside down coin (head down) in

the tread.

• If all of Lincoln’s head is exposed, then it means you are in need of new tire.

• Test all four, however, it is important to note that you should never change

just one tire at a time.

• It can throw off the performance, balance and safety of the vehicle.

1. KNOW HOW TO DO THE “PENNY TEST”

2. GET REGULAR TIRE ROTATIONS

• Tire rotations should be completed after the first 6,000 miles and then every 12,000 miles (once a year) for new tires.

• If you are wondering what the importance of tire rotation is essentially driving patterns make tread wear unevenly.

• By rotating your tires, you are helping the wear spread more evenly.

• If you have a front-wheel-drive vehicle, your two front tires generally will be worn more from braking than the back tires.

• By following the regular guidelines for tire rotation, you can actually extend the life of your tires which will save you money in the long run.

3. IF YOU CAN ONLY REPLACE ONE SET OF TIRES,

DO THE REAR FIRST

• Ideally, it’s best to replace all your tires at once but

understandably, not everyone can afford to do that all the time.

• As we mentioned earlier, it’s not good to replace just one tire at a

time so if you have to choose between the front and the back

tires, as a general rule, you should replace the back set.

• This applies to both front and rear wheel drive vehicles.

• The reason behind this recommendation is that the back tires

provide the most stability and can help you avoid fishtailing and

other dangerous issues associated with lack of traction.

4. ALWAYS HAVE A SPARE

• While it may sound basic, be sure you are never without a spare tire.

• Flats are always unexpected, so who knows where you could be stuck.

• If you are left with 3 tires, you will ultimately have to tow your vehicle and

that will cost you more in the long run than the cost of a spare.

• You will also want to make sure that your spare is in decent condition as well.

• Even though you likely haven’t driven on it too much, you should still give it

the same visual inspection that you would give the rest.

5. BE MINDFUL OR YOUR DRIVING HABITS

• Believe it or not, the way that you drive can actually be known by looking at

your tires.

• Not only can a variety of not-so-safe habits actually shorten the life of your

tires, but they put you at a greater risk of causing an accident.

• If you commonly accelerate hard, you will wear the tread out much faster.

• If you actually spin out the back tires while doing this, this can unbalance the

tires.

• If you are cornering fast without performance tires, you are probably going

to ruin them beyond repair.

• Other less than perfect driving habits that can hurt your tires include braking

hard, hitting the curb and driving on low air pressure tires.

• Speaking of air pressure, don’t ignore that pesky little dashboard light that

warns you about your tire pressure – it’s there for a reason!

• Over time, tires naturally lose some of their air.

• This may seem like a relatively small problem but actually the National

Highway Traffic Safety Administration has estimated that 200,000 accidents,

33,000 injuries and 660 deaths occur each year as a result of underinflated

tires.

6. BE AWARE OF YOUR TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT

6. BE AWARE OF YOUR TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT

• If you don’t have a tire pressure warning light, it’s probably because your car was manufactured prior to 2007, before all cars were made with this feature.

• If you don’t have one, not to worry. You will just need to remind yourself to check your tires once a month (which really you should do anyway).

• You can use a digital tire gauge to see what your tire pressure is at.

• Each vehicle will have its own recommended pressure so familiarize yourself with what yours should be at.

• If you forget, most vehicles have this information either in the owner’s manual or on a sticker located in the inside of the doorjamb or the gas cover.

7. CHECK FOR SIGNS OF DAMAGE

• Doing a visual inspection of your car tires is one great way to make sure they are in top condition.

• Small irregularities in texture or cracks can lead to blowouts and potential accidents.

• You may also notice signs of road damage.

• All of these things are better to notice before they become an issue.

• Once you spot any signs of damage, be sure to replace the tire(and ideally, the other tire of its pair if not all 4).

SUMMARY

• Here, you’ve learned seven key tips for routine

tire maintenance.

• At C&R Tire, safety has remained a top priority

over the past eighteen years that we’ve been

in business.

• We’re proud to provide our customers with

the services and education they need for a

smooth ride and safe travels.

READY TO UP YOUR OWN TIRE SAFETY?

TALK TO AN EXPERT FROM C&R TIRE

Tatum Blvd. 602.867.7466

Cave Creek 602.493.5258

I-17 and Pinnacle Creek 623.580.0455

Scottsdale 480.657.6656

Anthem 623.551.6255