If there is one thing that I am extraordinarily paranoid about, it’s the tires on my vehicle. If you think about it, your vehicle’s tires are one of the most important components of your car, truck or SUV that allows you to drive with some modicum of safety. It is what keeps you secured to the ground and allows you stop and go without skidding off of the road. This is why it is so important to make sure that you are maintaining your tires as well as paying attention to the general wear and tear that can occur.

Depending on where you are driving as well as how frequently you are driving around, your tires can experience anywhere from very little wear to quite a bit of wear and tear. Additionally, how you drive can also greatly affect the life and longevity of a tire. For example, all of the issues that I have ever had with tires on the vehicles that I have driven over the past years have had to do with the fact that I simply drive a lot. Other causes of tire issues have been the occasional nail in my tire. However, for my boyfriend, all of his tire issues have been in relation to how he drives his vehicle. Because of his driving habits, he has had more tire issues than anyone that I have ever known.

When my boyfriend purchased his BMW, he did so by also making sure that it included tire coverage for any problems related to his tires; and it is a good thing that he ordered that tire policy! He is what I often refer to as a “hard driver” meaning that wherever there is a pothole or some form of debris in the roadway, he will more than likely hit it. It is not a matter of him trying to actually drive over the potholes, but sometimes I wonder. It has become sort of a running joke between the two of us that he purposely aims for potholes. As a result of his hard driving, his car’s alignment is almost always thrown off. However, he doesn’t ever get his alignment fixed. Therefore, the alignment problem carries over into other problems, directly related to his tires. The off-balance alignment lends itself to his tires wearing out unevenly, thus eventually causing one or more of them to go flat. I have since lost count of how many times he has had to bring his car in to have a tire replaced due to extensive damage. Needless to say, I avoid having him drive my car whenever I can help it.

In order to ensure that you are being safe as well as to ensure that you are getting the most out of your tires, before you get into your vehicle each time, do a quick once-over of your tires. Take a quick walk around your car and look at each tire. Does the tread look worn? Does one or more tires look as if they need a little air? As a general rule, I always carry a tire gauge in my car so that I can do a quick check of my tire pressure when I am at the gas station fueling up. What better way to use your time while you are filling up your car than to check your tires over as well?

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