The Dangers of Driving on Bald Tires, Explained
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost 50% of the vehicles on the road have at least one tire with half-worn tread. While it’s normal for your tire tread to wear away, letting your tire tread wear away too much is unsafe.
Avoid the dangers of bald tires and stay safe while on the road.
What Are Bald Tires?
Tires come with a layer of tread covering the body of the tire. This is a rubber that’s shaped into a particular design. The intended use of the tire dictates what the tread looks like.
Tire tread uses a combination of blocks, voids, circumferential grooves, and sipes. When a tire is bald, all of these wear away, and the tire is smooth.
Signs of Bald Tires
Tires do not go bald overnight. Periodically take a look at your tires for signs that your tires are going bald. You will see low spots or smooth spots in the tread.
If you see these signs, you are overdue for buying new tires. Contact a professional like Ozzytyres.com.au to replace your tires and upgrade your wheels.
Loss of Traction
You need to tread on your tires to have a grip on the road. Traction is what allows your vehicle to feel agile and responsive when steering. Traction is even more important when the roads are wet, icy, or snowy.
The tread pattern is necessary to channel this moisture away from your tire. Without it, there is a layer of water, ice, or snow between your tires and the road. This is how you end up hydroplaning or sliding on black ice.
Increased Heat Buildup
The tread on your tires creates a lot of rubber surface area. Your tires need this to dissipate heat and keep your tires cooler.
Bald tires are perfectly smooth, which means excess heat builds. The increased heat can weaken the structural integrity of the tire and cause a blowout.
Lost Air Pressure
Tires that lack tread lose air pressure faster than those with the proper amount of tread. While you could check your tires every day and replenish the air, this may not be enough. Also, who wants to spend their time checking and filling their tires every day?
Tires that lack air pressure reduce your vehicle’s handling ability. A less responsive vehicle makes it harder to avoid accidents. Soft tires encourage the wearing away of the remaining tread faster.
Sudden Blowouts
Without the tread on your tires, they are more vulnerable to punctures. The thinner layer of rubber on your tires means that debris on the road is more likely to pierce the tire.
Longer Stopping Distances
There is a direct correlation between stopping distance and the amount of tread you have on your tires. The less tread you have, the longer the stopping distance. Driving with bald tires could result in an accident when you need to stop quickly.
Stop Driving on Bald Tires
Driving on bald tires is dangerous and should never be done. Tires that lack tread reduce your traction and handling. They make it even more dangerous to drive in inclement weather. You also put yourself at risk of experiencing a sudden blowout.
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