The transition from winter to spring may be a welcome one for drivers, but it has implications for your tires as well. Changes in weather, road conditions, and precipitation can all drastically affect your tires' performance. Whether you drive an Acura or a Jeep, below are some helpful tips to help keep your tires in working condition so they can keep you on the road.
Use Proper Seasonal Tires
It may be easy to overlook changing out your winter tires, but it's imperative that you do so once the weather starts warming up. Winter tires are great for navigating icy and snowy conditions during the colder months, but keeping them on your car when things get warmer and wetter will actually put you at risk of poorer handling on rainy roads. What's more, the softer rubber and deeper tread of winter tires makes them more prone to wear, so keeping them year-round is doing nothing but making them less effective for next winter, when you'll need them most. Be sure to replace your winter tires with all-season ones as soon as you're sure spring has finally sprung.
Watch Out For Potholes
Though winter's departure means that you won't have to deal with icy conditions anymore, the melting snow and warming temperatures leave drivers with a new road hazard to worry about: potholes. A helpful infographic from USA Today details how potholes are formed in the wake of winter weather, and the effects these can have on your tires can be severe. From throwing off your alignment to puncturing your tires outright, potholes create a host of problems for motorists, both immediately and down the line.
"Failure to address faulty alignment could cause uneven and premature tire wear," said Dan Zielinski, senior vice president, public affairs for the Rubber Manufacturer's Association (RMA). While avoiding potholes completely may be impossible, make sure to follow up and repair any potential damage if and when you find yourself at the bottom of one.
Engage In Preventative Tire Care
It's important to keep your tires in good health year-round, and the change in season is a perfect opportunity to get caught up on your preventative tire maintenance. Tires require both proper tire pressure and a decent tread to do their job, so make sure you familiarize yourself with the RMA's tips for tire safety to ensure you keep your tires operating at peak efficiency, reducing the risk of unfortunate tire mishaps.
Your tires may seem like an afterthought, but it's important to give them the same care you'd give to the rest of your car. For insight into proper tire maintenance, consider scheduling an appointment at NJ State Auto Auction's Total Car Care Center for all your tire and car care needs.