Summer Travel Season Kicks Off With National Tire Safety Week

It may not be celebrated with barbecues and pool parties, but the tire industry's holiday, National Tire Safety Week, is an important summertime observance.

This year, the industry has designated May 29 to June 4 as National Tire Safety Week, to remind consumers to take time to ensure your tires are ready for your summer road trips.

While proper tire safety maintenance should be a year-round practice, relatively low gas prices and the threat of long lines at TSA security points at airports means it is likely more people will take to the road this summer. And driving a car packed with your family is neither the time nor the place to find out you have a problem with one or more of your vehicle's tires.

You want to keep your tires in good condition and properly maintained in order to deal with summer’s scorching road temperatures. Check that there is enough tread to grip both dry and wet pavement, and be able to resist hydroplaning in those unpredictable summer monsoons.

Helpful Tips

Consumer Reports' tire experts have some tips to keep your tires in healthy shape, and the family happy on summer road trips:

• Check the pressure. Why is proper pressure important for tire safety? Underinflated tires flex more and build-up heat that can lead to failure and even an accident. Also, underinflated tires are less fuel efficient. The correct pressure for your tires is found typically on a sticker or placard placed on the driver’s door jamb of your car. Also consult your car owner’s manual for additional information. Check the pressure when the tires have sat parked for more than three hours. If you have a spare tire, check it too. Tire pressure should be checked monthly.

• Look for uneven or excessive tread wear. Place a quarter upside down in a tire groove. The distance from the coin's rim to George Washington's hairline is about 4/32 inch. If you see all of his head in any one groove where a tread-wear indicator appears, you may want to start shopping for new tires. This time of year many major tire companies are offering rebates if you buy four new tires. Certainly, any groove worn to 2/32 inch, the distance between the top of Lincoln’s head to the edge on a penny, should warrant tire replacement.

• Give them a once over. A key part of road safety is, while taking tire pressure, inspecting your tires and replacing them if you see cracks, cuts, or bulges.

• Find their birth date. The sidewall of the tire can tell you how old your tires are—some automobile manufacturers recommend replacing tires after six years, but as a rule of thumb any tires more than 10 years old should be replaced regardless of wear. Look for "DOT" followed by several digits—the last four numbers are the date of manufacture. So if you see 2315, that will tell you the tire was built in the 23^rd week of 2015. One word of caution: Many manufacturers only put the date code on one side of the tire, as required by law, which may mean the date code may be on the inboard side of the tire, making it difficult to read. Read more on what tire codes mean.

• Read the manual. Your vehicle owner’s manual has additional tips on how to care for your vehicle's tires, including the proper rotation process for your type of vehicle.

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