A road trip is a great way to make special memories with friends and family. But without proper preparation, a getaway can become grueling – especially when your tires let you down.
It’s impossible to foresee all potential hazards, of course, but there are some easy victories that can help you preserve peace of mind when you’re on the road. As part of our Shop Talk with Nokian Tyres campaign, here’s a tire safety checklist to follow before you hit the road for a long journey.
Don’t be deflated – check your tire pressure
Low tire pressure makes blowouts more likely and harms gas mileage. Use a tire pressure gauge to ensure every tire is inflated to your car’s recommended tire pressure, which you should find on a sticker inside your passenger door or in your car’s owner manual. If your tires are underinflated, take them to a tire dealer for a fill-up or do it yourself – many gas stations have inflation machines.
Here's more info about checking your tire pressure.
Make sure your tread depth is adequate
Long trips are not the time to mess around with shallow tread grooves. The lower your tire’s tread, the less responsive it is to the road – especially when it’s wet, snowy or icy.
Tire dealers typically inspect your tire tread when you take your car in for a check-up. If you’d like to check your own tread, perform the penny test [link to new Advanced Tire Safety page] to make sure your grooves are still at safe levels. Even better: Our tires feature a Driving Safety Indicator that tells you how much tread life you have left.
Get rotated and aligned
If it’s been between 4,000 and 8,000 miles since you’ve had your tires rotated, drop by your tire dealership to get that done. Uneven tread wear can lead to unstable driving and higher noise levels coming from your tires, and it may be a sign of a mechanical issue with your vehicle. While the car’s at the shop, ask your dealer to check your alignment, too. Proper alignment can help extend the life of your tires. Poor alignment can lead to rapid and uneven deterioration in tread wear.
Check your spare
Nobody ever wants to have to use their spare tire, but when you encounter a road hazard it’s vital to have one safe and ready. When you’re rolling through this checklist with your primary tires, make sure your spare is properly inflated and still has solid tread depth.
Know your surroundings
It never hurts to know who’s nearby if you need help with your tires along the way. It’s sensible to build a list of tire dealers in major areas along your route. We’ll give you a hand: Check out our dealer locator for a list of our tire dealers throughout North America.
We hope this gives you some helpful guidance so you can have peace of mind on your road trip. For more tire safety tips, click here for a wealth of information.
