Essential Guide: Replacing Your Tires for a Safer Ride

Changing your tires is something that needs to be done but surprisingly not as often as some might think. Believe it or not, there is an actual expiration date on tires and just how long they will last. Some tire manufacturers are now making tires that can last up to nearly 80,000 miles but even if you don’t hit that number, tire changes and/or inspections are recommended every six years at the minimum.

Automotive safety experts say a tire needs replacing when its tread depth reaches 2/32 of an inch. While that’s a great standard to live by, most common folks have no idea how to even look for something like that when inspecting their own tires.

Estimating that most Americans (pre-Pandemic) drove roughly 15,000 miles a year, the common sense approach would be to have your tires replaced every four years. If, like many now, you are working remotely and not putting nearly the number of miles on a car as previously, replacing your tires between four and six years is the safest bet.

Other indicators for your tire’s health besides the tread included the balance, the rotation and the tire pressure. Many tire manufacturers recommend car owners rotate their tires between 5,000-8,000 miles as well inspecting their tires once a month. Rotating your tires helps with balance and tread. In addition, there are tire gauges out there to assist you if do not want to take it to an auto repair or tire store.

But those types of repair shops will use balance machines to make sure your tires are spinning correctly as well as the other required mechanisms to keep your tires checked and balanced.

Tires have improved tremendously over the years giving drivers more time to drive on them before eventually replacing them. Staying safe on the road especially if you live in a city that rains or snows a lot in the winter is very important to your safety and the safety of other drivers.