Safe driving tips for teens, parents, and all drivers

Learning about tire safety can help prevent some accidents.

Know the right pressure for your tires and keep this number in your glove comparment so you won't forget it.

Carrying heavy loads in your vehicle can put a strain on your tires--so know the load limits for your tires.

Tire makers list the "maximum permissible inflation pressurs" on the tire sidewall. This number is the greatest amount of air that under normal driving conditions should be put in your tire.

Watch out for potholes--they can destroy--or greatly damage tires.

Watch out for newly paved roads with uneven shoulders. We recently had two blow-outs from moving onto a shoulder to avoid a truck in our lane--but the uneven shoulders sliced into the tires.

Tires lose pressure over time. So check them regularly--at least monthly. Measure tire pressure when tire is "cold" which means it hasn't been driven.

Watch out for curbs. Scrapping your tires on a curb or hitting a curb can damange your tires. Be careful of curbs when you're backing up as well.

If you have to replace a tire, make sure it is the same size as the other three.

If you let a teen drive a family car, make sure the tires are in good condition. If you're giving your teen an older car, you might want to put a new set of good tires on the car.

Check the tire tread and replace tires before--or at least when tread is worn down to 1/16 of an inch. You can also place a penny in the tread with Lincoln's head upside down and facing you. If you can see the top of Lincoln's head, it's time to get new tires.

Keep a tire gauge in the glove compartment.

Rotate tires according to your vehicle's owner manual recommendation. Some tire companies throw this in free when you buy a new set of tires.

Buy road hazzard insurance on your tires--especially if a teen will be driving the car. It's usually only a few dollar's more and the tire company will replace the tire if it's beyond repair--or repair it.

Find out more about tire safety from:

NHTSA's Brocure on Tire Safety

Copyright 2007 Teendriving.com

Disclaimer * Privacy Policy * Reprint Policy