How to Check Your Tire Tread for Wear and Tear

Tires keep us on the roads. Monitor them closely for damage.

More often than not, we take our cars for granted. Almost always, we forget about how important tire health is to our safety on the roads. The traction on the tires helps us to stop in time, keeps us on the road in inclement weather, and gets us to and from work every day. When the tire tread gets worn down, the water, snow, and other slippery surfaces don’t have anywhere to go except directly onto your tires – severely decreasing your efficiency of traction. This will negatively affect your control over the car, making it unsafe for you and your passengers.
If your tires are nearly bald, it’s time to replace them. Check your tire tread with this easy method.
Penny Test
Scrap coins are more useful than you think! Dig into your penny jar for a quick fix on checking your tire tread. When inserted into the groove of the tire, cents can tell us how much tread we have left on our tires.
Place a penny into several tread grooves across the tire. If part of Lincoln’s head is covered by the tread, you have more than 2/32” of tread depth remaining.
Place a quarter into several tread grooves across the tire. If part of Washington’s head is covered by the tread, you have more than 4/32” of tread depth remaining.
The Law
According to most states’ laws, tires are legally worn out when they have worn down to 2/32” of remaining tread depth. Motorists can also check their tires as well as perform the penny test. To help warn drivers that their tires have reached the minimum tread, tires sold across the states have indicators molded into their tread design called ‘wear bars.’ If you start to see this indicator, it’s time to get your tires replaced.
Safe driving helps you to stay safe on the roads. For everything else, there’s car insurance. Contact McCarthy Insurance Service for your quality auto insurance in Fresno and neighboring cities in California!