by Travis Lewis

Created on: August 06, 2009

The tires on your car are what keep it moving-the rubber gives your car the necessary traction to propel your car forward at the speeds we require today. But why does the air pressure in the tire matter? If there's any air in the tire and the car isn't lying on the ground, isn't it safe?

The plain and simple answer is no. Since the point of rubber tires is to maintain maximum grip to the road, the pressure is what enables them to do that. Generally, if there is more rubber on the road, the car has more grip. To keep the most rubber on the road possible, proper inflation is necessary. If your tires are under inflated, the outside rims of the tire will touch the road but the middle section will start to bend in slightly, causing your tire profile to assume an upside-down u shape. If your tires are over inflated, the opposite will happen-the middle will bow out while the outer edges rise off the road, creating a donut-like form.

This creates a safety hazard both for you and the drivers around you-less traction means you have less control over your car if something goes wrong. Even with ABS, hard braking becomes harder, increasing braking distances. Steering traction becomes an issue if there is an obstacle that you must avoid. Of course, these problems are only made worse in poor conditions like rain, snow, sleet, ice, or on unpaved dirt and gravel roads. Reduced traction could lead to tire slip, hydroplaning, or skidding.

As well, improperly inflated tires will not last as long as well maintained ones. With less surface area on the road, pressure on the small areas that still maintain contact is increased. Under inflated tires wear the outer edge faster, and over inflated tires wear the middle area faster. Uneven tire wear only adds to loss of traction caused by improperly inflated tires. To check if your tires are wearing unevenly, simply use the penny method. Stick a penny, with Lincoln's head down, into the treads, and see where the tread rises to. Do this on both outer sides, as well as the middle. If the tread rises to visibly separate areas, your tire may be wearing unevenly due to improper inflation. Besides wear, overinflated tires are at risk of blowouts. Increased road and tire temperature from driving can expand the air inside the tire to dangerous levels, and any small crack or split in the tire can make the threat even more imminent.

If your tire is improperly inflated, don't fret; you have an easy problem to fix. First, find the optimum tire pressure. This can be found directly on the tire's outer wall. After that, find out your tire's current pressure by using any standard tire pressure gauge. If you don't have a separate pressure gauge, most if not all air compressors come equipped with one. After finding your tire's pressure, proceed to inflate it to the necessary levels. Check the pressure regularly while filling to avoid over inflation.

Your tires, and more specifically, your tire pressure, is a major safety feature of you car. They keep your car anchored to the road if properly used, but can present a large hazard if not properly cared for. Tire care and maintenance is the first step to avoiding accidents and trouble situations.

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