How Often Should Your Car Tires Be Replaced?

​Car tires are the load carrier in a vehicle, so ensuring that they are in the best condition should be one of your top priorities. If car tires are damaged, they can affect your braking and handling, leading to an accident. 

According to NHTSA, you are recommended to replace your car tires every six years. However, the length of its usage before replacement should still be up to its productivity and utilization. 

There are also other factors that you need to check to know if your tires need replacement. This article will discuss all those factors. 

The Tread Depth
The US legal safety standards indicate that a tire’s tread depth should be at least 2/32 inches. If your car tires do not or are close to not meeting this standard, you have to change them immediately. 

Various accessible tools will let you measure the depth of your tire tread. But you can also perform the checking using a penny. Just insert them between the tire treads and if you see Honest Abe’s head, change your tires. 

Local Weather 
You might think that because your tires pass the penny test, they’re still efficiently good. However, if you’re in a place with extreme rainy or snowy weather, you need more tread depth than usual. This additional depth is needed to ensure you can safely traverse wet and icy roads. 

The same goes for hot areas, as your tires might easily wear out due to high road temperature. So it’s necessary for you to constantly check the conditions of your tires before hopping on the road. 

Tires Lifetime 
The tires’ age is the most obvious factor in determining if you need to change them. As previously mentioned, six-year-old tires need to be constantly examined as they might need replacement. But if your tires are more than 10 years old, you need to change them despite the condition. 

A four-digit number is stamped on every tire, indicating the week and year they were made. 

Conclusion
These are the things you can check at home or even before and after travel. However, there might be some factors that you can miss, so it’s better if you have them checked with professionals. 

You can also ask your UG Insurance Brokerage agent if tire changes are covered in your auto insurance policy. 

At UG Insurance Brokerage Inc, we do our best in making sure that our clients are well-protected with affordable and comprehensive policies. We make sure to go the extra mile to help you with your needs. To learn more about how we can help you, please contact our agency at (718) 848-7777 or Click Here to request a free quote. Topics and coverage discussed in this article are not guaranteed, consult with your agents to determine what your policy does and does not cover. We are more than happy to help!