by JET Carney

Created on: July 11, 2009   Last Updated: July 13, 2009

Did you walk around your car this morning and check the tires? Chances are, you didn't like 90% of America's driving public. Coffee and keys in hand we had things on our mind: dropping the kids off at school, getting to work on time, and a myriad of other things. Our eyes told our brain the car was level. By inductive logic, the tires must be present and okay, but are they really?

Most of what we see and hear about automotive failures concerns the car's mechanics not its rubber which is equally important. Without tires, like a battery, you don't go anywhere.

Tires affect your comfort, your safety, and the safety of others. They also affect your gas mileage. NHTSA estimates that about 400 fatalities annually are attributed to tire failures which could have been prevented.

Tire Pressure, whether over-inflated or under-inflated, takes its toll in premature wear, comfort, wallet pain, and ultimately safety by tire failure. A recent NHTSA survey said about 30% of cars and light trucks have at least one tire under inflated by 8 psi (pounds per square inch) or more. Proper inflation pressure for the vehicle is listed on the vehicle information placard usually on the jam of the driver's door and in the owner's manual. It is called the "recommended cold inflation pressure." Tires lose as much as 1.5 psi per month by naturally escaping air from the tire and rim.

If there is a difference between what is listed on the placard and the recommended inflation pressure for the tire, be governed by the pressure on the placard, not the tire. The number on the tire is the greatest permissible inflation pressure that should ever be used for that particular tire under normal driving conditions.

Temperature has a bearing on how well the tire grips the roadway governing maneuverability. Tires are graded highest to lowest (A, B, or C) in heat resistance. Currently, 27% carry the A rating, 59% the B rating and 11% are rated as C. Tire pressure drops about 1 psi for every 10 degrees F drop in ambient temperature.

Tire Tread is crucial in wet or snowy conditions. The grooved indentations operate to wick rain, snow, and mud to the sides out from under the tire. If these are too shallow (worn), the tire cannot wick effectively. For instance, in a sandy or high dirt area the first thirty minutes after the start of a rain is the most hazardous. The rain water is pulling loose and embedded dirt and sand from the cracks in the roadway making a slick surface. If your tire tread is minimal, you increase

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