Tis the season – for tire blowouts!

Have you checked your tires today? 

You really should. Hot temperatures in the summer increase the odds you’ll experience a blowout. It’s easy to forget about what your tires are experiencing at high speeds on hot pavement while you’re cruising along in the air conditioning. On a 90 degree day, road surfaces can reach 150 degrees. That heat build-up weakens your tires and can lead to a catastrophic failure. In order to reduce the risk of blowout, there are a few precautions you can take:

1. Check the inflation pressure in each tire - and the spare - when the tires are cold or have sat more than three hours.

2. Inflate the tires to the recommended setting outlined on the tire information placard found most often on the driver's door jamb or the vehicle owner's manual. 

3. Check the tires monthly. Tires will typically lose up to 1 psi per month, and pressure drops about 1 psi for every 10-degree drop in air temperature. 

4. Buy a good tire gauge. It's also a good idea to buy a portable compressor that works off of your car's power outlet.

5. Tires also lose air to common punctures, so if you find you're always adding air to one particular tire, it might have a slow leak. Have it checked out at a garage or your tire place.