Are Your Car Tires Out of Date

Worn Tires, especially bald ones can be deadly on wet roads.

Mileage is the not the only concern when speaking of the integrity of your car’s tires. The age of the tires is an important factor too. Many seniors do not put a lot of miles on their cars and may be under the assumption that because of the low miles on the car, the tires are ok. This may not be the case.

Tire rubber degrades and dries out over time, no matter what the miles are. This can cause cracking and stress on the tire's structural composition, possibly resulting in failure, including blowouts and tread shredding at higher speeds. Older tires often have problems maintaining proper inflation. This can cause gas consumption to rise, wasting valuable fuel. 

All tires have a date code stamped on the sidewall. If your tires are more than 5 years old you should have your auto service professional inspect the tires and check the date code Remember, the age of a tire is as important as the mileage. 

Worn tires—especially bald ones—can be deadly on wet roads, where the grooves aren't deep enough to channel water out from beneath the tread. The result is hydroplaning, where the tread skims the water's surface and the vehicle no longer responds to the steering wheel. Wet-weather braking and snow traction also decrease as tires wear.

Tires are considered bald when one or more of their grooves reaches 2/32 of an inch deep, compared with about 10/32 of an inch for new tires (tread wear is usually measured in 1/32-inch increments). Manufacturers have made bald tires easier to spot by placing a series of molded horizontal bars at the base of the grooves. The bars become flush with surrounding tread when wear reduces a groove's depth to 2/32 of an inch. That's also the point where tires will flunk a state safety inspection—and where tread must be worn for you to collect on a tire's tread-wear warranty.
Unfortunately, 2/32 of an inch may be too late if you drive in rain or snow. Based on our tests of new and half-tread-depth tires, you may want to consider shopping for new ones on your car or truck closer to the 4/32-inch groove depth.

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