Your vehicle tires are essential to your ability to stop, maneuver and avoid accidents while driving your car. In fact, if you neglect to replace your balding, worn-out car tires, you could find yourself liable for a vehicle accident if your old tires cause you to get into a collision.
In order to know when it’s time to replace your vehicle tires, keep the following factors in mind:
Visible wear
The “Lincoln head penny test” is a common way to determine if your vehicle tires are ready to be replaced. Put a U.S. penny, head-first, into the grooves in your car tire. Do it several times and wherever you place the head, make sure that the top of Lincoln’s head isn’t visible. When you can’t see Lincoln’s head, it’s time to take your car in to see if it needs new tires.
Amount of time exposed to the outdoors
Tires are made of rubber, which dries out and becomes cracked over time. For this reason, your tires might pass the Lincoln head test but still be in need of replacing if they have become cracked and brittle as a result of too much time in the sun. Any sign of cracks in the tires is a sign to take them in and have them inspected.
The age of your tires
Most auto manufacturers recommend that their customers replace their tires once every six years. Tire manufacturers recommend that you replace them every 10 years. If your tires have reached six years in age, as a precaution, take them in for an inspection.
If you or a family member were injured in a vehicle collision that happened because someone neglected to replace worn-out and dangerous tires, you might want to investigate whether the facts of your case support a claim for personal injury damages in court.