It’s important to maintain the tires of your car as they affect the performance, braking, and even fuel efficiency of the vehicle. While there’s no way to predict when to change the tires, you can use a few tricks to deduce whether or not they are in optimum working condition. Follow this car tire safety checklist to know if it’s time to change the tires:

Causes of tire damage
Before you start inspecting the tires for any signs of damage, it is worthwhile to know how exactly this damage might occur. Some of the reasons include:

• Age of the tires
• Bad road conditions, like bumps, potholes, or sharp objects on the road
• Climatic conditions, like rain, sleet or snow on the roads, or harsh sunlight
• Bad driving habits, including speeding and emergency braking
• Not having a proper maintenance schedule, like wrong air pressure, not rotating or balancing the tires, and ignoring wear and tear
• Improper usage of tires, like using summer tires during winters, damaged wheels, or incompatible rim or wheel sizes

How to check for damaged tires

Perform an outer inspection
The first factor on the car tire safety checklist should be a physical inspection of the tires. Some of the things to look out for are an uneven or shallow tread, nails or rocks embedded on the surface, and damaged parts or valve caps.

Look out for any difference experienced while driving the vehicle
Any damage to the tires will lead to a rough ride and vibrations while driving. In such cases, it is advisable to slow down and consult a professional if you find any issue with the tire.

Check the tread wear of the tires

• Using a gauge: Take a tire tread depth gauge and hold it over one of the major grooves of the tire so that the foot of the gauge is across the groove. Press down gently and check the major worn out areas of the tire. A new tire will show approximately 9/32,” while a worn-out tire can read about 4/32″.
• Using a penny: If a tire tread gauge isn’t available, you can also use a penny to measure the tire tread. Just place the coin inside one of the major grooves of the tire. If only a small area of the coin is hidden by the tire, it might be time for a change.
• Using a tread wear indicator: Some tire brands offer in-built tread wear indicators. These are rubber bands that become steadily more visible on the grooves of the tire as it wears out.

Other reasons to replace a tire

• Age: It is recommended to replace the tires every 10 years, even if they seem to be in good working condition. Not only the tires your use, but your spare tires also need to be replaced every 10 years. It’s also important to follow the car tire safety checklist and inspect the tires every 5 years.
• Other damage: Bulges, cuts, or cracks appearing on the sidewalls, blisters on the tires, the metal cord becoming visible, sidewall punctures that are not repairable, finding rubber shavings inside, and other such damage to the tires make replacement necessary.