Although winters in Louisiana and Alabama are mild compared with most other places in the U.S., road conditions can be wet, icy, and even occasionally snowy. It\u2019s very important to assess the condition of your tires so you can feel secure when driving this winter and minimize your risk of an accident.<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t have to be a rocket scientist to check the condition of your tires and take care of them. Unlike some of the mechanical parts of your car, tires are easy to see and inspect. You can inspect them in your driveway or wherever you\u2019re parked.<\/p>\n
Give your tires a monthly penny test<\/a>. Take a penny and place it so Abe Lincoln\u2019s head is in the deepest part of the tread. Check several treads on each tire. If you can see the top of Abe\u2019s head it\u2019s time for new tires. Rotating your tires every 3,000 to 5,000 miles helps prevent uneven tread wear too.<\/p>\n The Rubber Manufacturers Association<\/a> recommends checking tire air pressure at least once a month, even if your vehicle has a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). It\u2019s also recommended to check tire pressure if there is a big drop in temperature, as every ten-degree drop in temperature reduces air pressure by one or two pounds per square inch. Operating a tire gauge<\/a> is quick and easy, and you can purchase one at your local auto parts store. Otherwise, go to a service center to have tire pressure checked. To get the most accurate tire pressure level reading, do it before you drive in the morning or wait until tires have cooled – about 30 minutes after parking.<\/p>\n You will need to know how many pounds per square inch (psi) your auto manufacturer recommends for your vehicle, which is based on the size of the tires and the load the car is designed to carry. Locate this information in the car manual, on the driver\u2019s side door jamb, or by Googling the car make and model year. When you buy new tires ask your tire dealer what the psi rating is, as it may be different than your last set of tires.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a dangerous myth that underinflated tires<\/a> give better traction on ice and snow. Properly inflated tires give you the best traction which is critical during winter months when road conditions are poor. Underinflation increases the likelihood of tire damage or a blowout. Properly inflated tires save money too, by improving gas mileage, reducing gas emissions, and increasing the longevity of your tires.<\/p>\n Even in northern Louisiana and Alabama, it\u2019s unusual for vehicle owners to buy winter tires<\/a>. All season tires are a good choice to get you through the winter months. Use these driving strategies when driving conditions are at their worst.<\/p>\n Practice tire maintenance routines and stay safe this winter, and all year round. USAgencies has the best auto insurance available at the lowest rates. We\u2019ll be happy to give you a quote over the phone or online. Call (800) 420-3712<\/strong> to speak with a live agent or get your free auto insurance quote<\/a> online.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Although winters in Louisiana and Alabama are mild compared with most other places in the U.S., road conditions can be wet, icy, and even occasionally snowy. It\u2019s very important to assess the condition of your tires so you can feel secure when driving this winter and minimize your risk of an accident. Tire Maintenance Tips […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2779,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69,76],"tags":[81,82,83],"class_list":["post-2758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-car-safety-tips","category-car-tips","tag-tire-maintenance-tips","tag-tire-safety","tag-tires-and-winter-driving"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2758"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2758"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2758\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3362,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2758\/revisions\/3362"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2779"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Do I Need Winter Tires?<\/h2>\n
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