Your car’s tires play an important role in keeping you safe. However, they’re only meant to last for a set number of years or miles, and their quality and alignment should be closely monitored by a trusty auto repair shop to ensure total safety. If you’ve been driving around on the same set of wheels for a while, it’s likely the tires are bald or out of alignment, causing your car to handle poorly. 

The average life span for tires is about six years. On each tire is a manufacturer’s code that indicates the date they were installed. Since driving with outdated tires can be hazardous for both you and other drivers on the road, it’s crucial to inspect your wheels and get to know exactly when they were installed. The final expiration date is at about 10 years — any tire older than a decade should be replaced.

While age certainly plays a role in whether your tires are safe, other factors can also cause them to expire more quickly. Cracks in the rubber, for example, indicate a problem. However, they can be tough to spot early. Many cracks originate inside of the tire and work their way out, eventually splitting the tread and destroying your wheel. 

Another way to determine if your tires are too old is to estimate how many miles they’ve seen. If you drive every day, it can be easy to rack up between 12,000 and 15,000 miles in a given year. You need to replace your tires to stay safe on the road after four years with this amount of driving. If you’re unsure whether the tires are bald, stick a penny head first into the tread. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, the tire is worn out. 

If you’re a driver in Putnam County, TN, and in the market for a new set of tires, work with the team at Cookeville Tire & Auto. For more than 25 years, this group of highly trained and experienced mechanics has made it their mission to provide quality car repairs to keep the roads safe. Call (931) 526-9022 to schedule service, and visit them online for more information.