Summer Driving Tips: Tire Safety

Summer driving season is ahead, and, like always, safety is important

We recommend taking five minutes every month and before every long drive to check your tires, including the spare. These tire safety tips from the Rubber Manufacturers Association are designed to help drivers make sure that they’re ready for safe, enjoyable road trips this summer.

Tire Pressure

• Make sure you check your tire pressure regularly – at least once per month and before every long trip — including the spare and keep it at the level recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.
• The correct cold inflation pressure for your tires is listed on the vehicle label on the door post, fuel door, glove box or in the owners’ manual. “Cold inflation pressure” refers to the pressure in a tire that has not been driven for at least three hours. As tires warm during driving, it is normal for pressure to build up. Never “bleed” or reduce air pressure when tires are hot.
• The tire pressure listed on your sidewalls is the maximum pressure and is not intended to serve as notification of the correct pressure.
• Under inflation creates excessive stresses and heat and may lead to tire failure. It is also important to guard against overinflation, which can cause uneven wear plus handling and stopping problems.

Vehicle Loading and Overloading

• Before you fill the trunk and the roof rack with your stuff, check out the vehicle manufacturers recommendations for loading your vehicle. You may not realize it, but you and your passengers count towards the total recommended vehicle weight.
• The vehicle manufacturers loading recommendation can be found on the vehicle information placard on the door post or in the vehicle owners’ manual.
• Overloading your vehicle creates excessive heat inside your tires. Excessive heat can cause tire failure that could result in vehicle damage and/or serious injury or even death.
• And don’t forget, if you’re going to be driving long distances with a loaded vehicle or you haven’t had your car checked in a while, have the alignment and rotation checked. Tires and wheels that are out of balance or misaligned can cause uneven wear or vehicle problems. Have your car checked by an automotive service professional before you leave.

Tread

• Check the tread grooves of your tires to make sure that they’re free of foreign objects. This makes it easier for your tires to grip the road and increases your ability to safely maneuver your car.
• Also check the sidewalls to make sure there are no gouges, cuts, bulges or other irregularities.
• You may have irregular tread wear if there are high and low areas or unusually smooth areas. Built-in treadwear indicators, or “wear bars,” which look like narrow strips of smooth rubber across the tread will appear on the tire when the tread is worn down to one-sixteenth of an inch. When you see these “wear bars,” the tire is worn out and should be replaced.

Top Ten Towing Tips

Over 15,000 people have been killed in crashes involving passenger vehicles towing trailers since 1975¹ with more than 65,000 crashes involving passenger vehicles towing trailers occurring in one year alone.² Lack of knowledge of correct towing techniques is clearly a contributing factor – in fact, a recent study² revealed that 71% of Americans who tow admitted to being only somewhat to not knowledgeable about proper towing practices and safety! So, as the spring/summer road trip and tow season approaches, we found these Top Ten Towing Tips from AutoMD.com to make sure that vacation road trippers not only tow their recreational ‘toys’ safely, but also avoid extra wear and tear on their towing vehicle.

“Driving may still be the best travel choice for families this spring and summer, but for those who will be hauling their fun behind them, it is important to remember that without careful planning, attention to equipment and safe driving practices, these extra loads can be a hazard to driver, passengers and vehicle – and to other drivers as well,” said Brian Hafer, VP Marketing at AutoMD.com.

There are many things to consider when towing extra cargo. AutoMD.com’s Top Ten Towing Tips provide crucial advice for the novice tower, as well as a refresher for those who are more experienced with hauling an extra load.

Top 10 Towing Tips

The information and advice provided herein is general and intended to be a starting point to gather information about towing practices. You should not rely solely on the information contained herein as it may not be suitable for your particular automobile or situation. Please consult your vehicle and trailer owner’s manual before attempting to tow anything.

1. Understanding Towing Capacity

Never exceed your vehicle’s towing capacity. For example, you may think that just because you have a truck, you can tow a boat, but if the boat and trailer are heavier than your towing capacity, you can find yourself in deep water (literally!). If your tow load exceeds your car or truck’s capacity, it can lead to significant mechanical issues and/or transmission damage. Plus, it can cause sway issues, which can have a devastating impact on others on the road. To find out what your car/truck’s towing capacity is, consult your vehicle owner’s manual. There are also public and private scale locations that can help you determine the weight of your trailer and cargo.

2. Let’s Get Hitched

A tow hitch attaches to the chassis of a car allowing it to connect to and tow a trailer or other vehicle. Buying the right hitch is crucial if your vehicle is not already equipped with a manufacturer’s towing package. Your hitch must not only match your vehicle’s towing capacity but must be the appropriate hitch for the load you are carrying: for instance, a weight-distributing hitch is appropriate for towing a heavier load (especially when the trailer and load weigh more than 50 percent of the vehicle’s weight), and it can help reduce sway.

3. Are All Brakes in Sync?

Make sure that the brakes and lights on your car or truck are in sync with the brakes and lights on your trailer. Your trailer brakes and brake lights should go on when your car/truck’s brakes and brake lights go on. If your car/truck signals left, so should your trailer. Not only is this basic road safety, but having operable, in sync lights when towing is the law in many states. And many states require that a towed trailer weighing more than 1,500 pounds has its own brake system.

4. Weight Distribution is Critical

As you prepare to tow a trailer, make sure your load is distributed appropriately for weight. Incorrect weight distribution can cause your trailer to flip with devastating consequences for you and others on the road. Load heavier cargo first, making sure you secure your item(s) with ropes or cords. Fill in extra spaces evenly, front to back, and side to side. By placing sixty percent of the cargo weight on the front half of the trailer, this helps properly distribute weight across the tow hitch and trailer. Take into account visibility: don’t pile things so high that you obstruct the driver’s view unless you have extended side-view mirrors. Always check to be sure you have unobstructed views before hitting the road.

5. Perform a Maintenance Check on Your Vehicle

As with any road trip, make sure your car is in good condition before you head out. Towing can add extra stress to your vehicle, accelerating repair issues for vehicles that are not properly maintained. Check all fluid levels, get an oil change if needed, inspect the brakes, and make sure your tires have plenty of tread and are properly inflated. The more you can do to make sure your car is operating properly, the less likely you are to find yourself, and your trailer, on the side of the road.

6. Do a Practice Run

As they say, practice makes perfect. This is especially important if you are towing a trailer for the first time. Driving when hauling is a completely different experience, so practice accelerating and stopping, backing up, turning corners, and even parking before heading off on your road trip. If you can, practice in a large empty parking lot.

7. Safety Checks

It is a good idea to plan stops every 50-60 miles to check on your trailer and make sure the lights and brakes are working, the tires are inflated, and the load is secure. Sometimes loads can shift if they are not properly tied down. Also, under no circumstances should any passengers be riding in the trailer, even if it is a mobile home.

8. Slow Down!

Drive slower and give yourself ample distance for stopping when towing a trailer. If you are driving too fast, and need to stop suddenly, you can cause your vehicle and trailer to slide, skid, jackknife, or even flip over. Plus, driving slowly (while towing) can help alleviate stress on your vehicle.

9. Towing Laws Vary from State to State

As you embark on your road trip, you may be crossing one, or multiple, states. You may find yourself subject to different towing laws from one state to another. For instance, towing height and width laws vary by state, as do speed limits and weight limits. Some states allow you to haul multiple trailers, while others don’t. Do your research, look online and read up on towing laws for the states where you will be traveling.

10. Carry Emergency Equipment

This is a great rule of thumb for any road trip – carry an emergency kit in case you breakdown or find yourself on the side of the road with a flat tire. Make sure your kit is well stocked with roadside flares and triangles, tire jack, jumper cables, even extra clothes, water and energy bars/ snacks. You may be driving in remote areas, so make sure to carry a cell phone, and that it is adequately charged during your drive.