There are two components of being a safe driver - one of them is the driver, and the other is the car. And while there are many things that you can personally do while driving - like maintaining awareness, taking regular breaks, and general safe driving practice, your car needs regular checks. 

When a car isn’t driven often, or when it is driven a lot, there are different things that happen to it that impact its safety. The age of the car and even the make can have a lot of impact on how safe it is and if you should be driving it at all. 

However, one of the things that you can and should check before every drive - even a short one is the tires. 

Your tires are what sits between you and the road; they dictate how much road grip you’ll have, how the handling is, how quickly you will be able to stop if you need to, and so much more. Having your tires checked regularly will mean you are less likely to need a car accident lawyer due to you or the car being unsafe and ending in an accident. 

Ensuring your tires are in good condition won’t take long, but it is worth it - here is a quick guide on how to check your tires: 

Pressure 

Every tire will have a required tire pressure, and when you ensure they are always kept at the right pressure, you will have a more comfortable and safer drive. This can be done monthly or before a long drive. If you don’t know the pressure that is supposed to be in your tires and for your car, make sure that you check it before you add any air. 

Tire Alignment 

When your tires aren’t aligned, there is going to be a discrepancy in how quickly one will wear down in comparison to others. When your tires are wearing at different rates, some are safer than others, and it will impact the ability to stop effectively - as well as costing more in gas. 

Tire alignment will be checked at every service, but if you feel like there is something going wrong, then get them checked immediately. 

Valves 

When was the last time you looked at the valves on your tires? Are they even there? The valves ensure that the tires are airtight. However, not many people know that they can also deteriorate, and sometimes they become less effective before the tires need to be changed. Take them off and inspect them the next time you need to add air to the tires. They aren’t expensive to replace.  

Wear

Every time you drive, your tires are going to take some wear and tear. Over time though, this begins to wear down the tread on the tires. 

You can put a coin between the gaps in the tread to have a rough idea of if you need to change your tires. When the tire tread wears down unevenly, the grip on the road is greatly reduced, and that means that driving is dangerous.