How to Know When Car Tires Need to be Replaced...

Just like airplanes or human relationships...tires need frequent maintenance too!

Ever wonder when to replace your worn car tires? The performance of your car tires is critical to the safety, performance and efficiency of your vehicle; ICBC estimates that about 400 fatalities annually may have been attributed to tire failures.  Most tires are designed to provide similar performance throughout their lives. However, at some point they start to lose performance in terms of their traction and braking ability. Here are a few tips that should help you decide if it is time to start shopping for a new set of tires and avoid spending more than you need to.

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1. Understand that the primary function of tread on a tire is to divert water from beneath the tire to improve traction and avoid hydroplaning on wet roads. Tires become unsafe when they're worn, and once the tread is down to 1/16th of an inch (1.6mm), the tire is no longer safe.
   
2. Look at the tread pattern. All tires sold have what are called "tread wear bars". These are small bridges that form between your treads. Look at the tread pattern and you'll see the beginnings of these bars start to form between the treads, or running across the tires. As the tires wear, these bars will become flush (level or even) with the tire's tread. At this point, it's time to replace the tires
   

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