Preparing Your Car for Holiday Travel

With the holiday travel season upon us, Americans are dealing with a range of high-pressure situations. But one type of pressure that is lacking on highways is perhaps the most critical – proper tire pressure. Underinflated tires can impact handling, braking, as well as overall fuel economy.

Tire maintenance is even more important during the busy holiday travel season, as road conditions and temperature fluctuation can impact tire pressure.

Kauffman Tire and Michelin have the following tips for drivers this holiday travel season:

• Check you tire pressure – Check your tire pressure at least once a month and before and after a long trip. Tires can lose 1-2 psi per month.

• Examine your treads – Your tires’ tread will help you keep traction on wet roads, so it is important to make sure your tires are not worn out. Check your tires’ tread both visually and with the Penny Test (as you insert a penny into the tread grooves, if part of Lincoln’s head is covered, you have more than 2/32 of an inch of tread depth. 2/32 of an inch is the minimum tread depth limit in most states).

• Examine the wear patterns – The wear patterns can tell you whether your tires are over or under inflated and if your alignment is off.

• Keep deepest treads in the rear – Make sure when replacing just two tires that you put the two tires with the deepest treads on the rear axle regardless, whether you have front-wheel, rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.

• Avoid hydroplaning – Simple adjustments to driving including reducing your speed and avoiding wet spots, especially standing water can reduce your risk of hydroplaning.

• Rotate – Tires should be rotated every 6,000-8,000 miles.

At times, driving can be a stressful, “high pressure” situation, which is why it is important to check your car and your tires before you hit the road. For more information, visit www.kauffmantire.com.