5 Reasons You Need to Check Your Tire Pressure (That You Don't Already Know)

Written by Staff Writer

Everybody knows that if your tire starts looking flat you need more air or else you might end up changing it for the spare. But did you know that your tires can lose air pressure without you even noticing? If you're not checking your tire pressure regularly you could be costing yourself money or even cutting down on your car's performance.

Here are the five other reasons you need to check the pressure in your tires.

  1. Helps optimize tire performance and fuel economy (something especially useful with the AC running all the time and the increasing gas prices)
  2. Improves durability and performance designed to match the needs of their vehicles
  3. Avoid sidewall flexing and tire squirm
  4. Avoid heat build up and potential rolling hazards
  5. Stabilizes the tire's structure, blending the tire's responsiveness, traction and handling

If you don't already know, checking your air pressure is easy; all you need is a tire gauge. If you're using a gas station air hose, those usually have a gauge built in; when you close the valve of the tire, the gauge will display the Pounds per Square Inch (PSI).

The proper PSI is usually slightly different for all tires, but the proper PSI should be listed on the side of your tire (usually around the mid 30's for most cars).

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This article was written by SafeMotorist.com defensive driving staff writers and reviewed for accuracy by defensive driving instructors. All articles are based on current traffic laws and defensive driving practices. This article is intended for educational purposes only, and should not be taken as legal advice or literal interpretation of any specific traffic law.