Now that school is either out or just about out, families across the country are gearing up for summer road trips. But before they do, Consumer Reports is spreading the word about the importance of checking the condition of spare tires. To that end, they offer a few tips on how you can make sure your spare is in good repair should one of your other tires experience a flat.
First, they urge all drivers to include the spare as part of the monthly check on tire pressure that every vehicle operator should be conducting. Just like regular tires, spares can lose air pressure over time, and the last thing you want is to be replacing one flat tire with another.
They also recommend checking the mounting hardware on those vehicles where the spare is stored beneath the auto, such as a van, truck, or sport utility vehicle. Anything holding it in place should be tight, yet loose enough that you’ll be able to extricate the spare without much effort. For spares in trunks, debris should be cleaned from beneath the tire.
Some other tips: make sure the tread and sidewall are in good condition, that the jack is ready to perform its duty, conduct a test tire change so that you know exactly what to do should a tire replacement become necessary, and as always, look to the owner’s manual of your vehicle so that you know how best to take care of your tire and change it according to established guidelines.
As a Bakersfield car accident attorney, I know how dangerous driving on the roads can sometimes be. We rely on our cars to keep us safe from any and all possible obstacles. That’s why it’s so sad to see the very systems we rely on turn out to be faulty in some aspect.
The Toyo Tire U.S.A. Corporation has issued a recall of a very specific series of tires. The size P225/60R16 tires in question were manufactured at a plant in White, Georgia between the 38th week of 2009 and the 44th week of 2010.
The problem involves the bead area of the tires. Apparently, the product may have been made with a kink in this area. If left unchecked, this kink could produce a crack in the bead area near the rim. If this happens, it could mean the failure of the tire, which would result in loss of vehicle control and a possible crash.
To tell if one of your tires is affected, one must check the last four digits of the TIN on the sidewall. The affected units range from 3809 to 4410. If your vehicle is affected, you can have the tires replaced for free.
Any car accident is a tragedy, but as a car accident attorney in Bakersfield, the ones that really sting are those in which the crash resulted through no error on the driver’s part. It’s too bad that such a problem as described could develop, but it’s nice to see a recall announced to fix the issue.
With the winter months approaching, cars require safety checks to make sure they are prepared for harsher weather. The following are three maintenance steps you can take in order to ensure your vehicle is safe.
-Inspect your tires – all five of them. It’s important to check not only the four tires that are currently on your car, but also the spare as well. It needs to be in good condition and ready to use in case of an emergency. You can check your tires using a pressure check. Usually tires lose one pound per square inch for every 10 degree drop in temperature. According to the Department of Energy, inflating your tires correctly can improve your fuel economy by three percent (about 10 cents per gallon).
-Check out your car battery. Car batteries have been shown to lose strength in colder weather. Have an auto repairman check the battery, and the connections. Most batteries have a three to five year life.
-Maintain wiper blades and washer fluid. This is important, as wipers are a necessary feature when in bad weather. Check the fluid at least monthly. Use a solution that won’t freeze. As far as wiper blades, the rubber insert should be replaced every year.
As a Los Angeles car accident lawyer, I hope these tips will reduce the chances of an accident and improve safety, and maybe even save you a little money. In my experience as a personal injury lawyer, I’ve seen how properly maintaining a car can help a driver avoid serious wrecks and damage.
