If You’re Planning a Road Trip, Don’t Forget to Do This; Not Only is it Safer, But Will Save You Money!

Anytime you go on a road trip, especially with the kids, there are a million things to do, take care of, double check. But do you consider your tire pressure as something at the top of the list? This is not only important on long car trips, but in general.

First

The safety of your vehicle is of the upmost importance when you are driving, especially with little passengers. Kal Tire recently had me come personally test drive two vehicles, one with the perfect tire pressure, and one with just 20% less than perfect. The difference was scary. I was not able to operate the vehicle properly, especially when turning and stopping, and didn’t feel safe; especially after driving the exact same model with the perfect tire pressure for immediate comparison.

Second

The wrong tire pressure will end up costing you money. Because the tire pressure changes so gradually, you probably wouldn’t even notice that something’s not right, until one of your tires has been completely ruined. Yes, the wrong tire pressure can blow your tires, meaning a potential accident, and of course, more money for new tires.

This is a photo of a tire that a real Kal Tire customer brought into the shop, thinking it was still safe to drive on. The inside was ripped apart and the tire would have blown at any time. All because the tire pressure they were driving on was not correct. Driving with the incorrect tire pressure can take up to 15,000km off of the life of your tires! That means you need to buy a whole new set that much more often.

Important: the tire pressure written on the tire is NOT the correct tire pressure to fill to. The inside panel of the driver’s side door has a sticker with your vehicle info, stating the correct tire pressure for your make and model. Trust the label, engineers work hard to come up with the exact tire pressure based on a variety of factors, so you have the safest and most efficient drive in that specific vehicle.

Here is another cost I did not realize was this relevant to tire pressure – for every psi your tire pressure is off, it takes up to 2% off of your gas mileage. With gas prices as high as they are right now, this really adds up. Not sure how often to check your tire pressure, or how to do it? “A few good rules of thumb are: every time you fill up for gas, every 10 degree change in temperature, or every 30 days.” –Kal Tire

There is some great news though. Stop by your nearest Kal Tire location and they will check your tire pressure and fill it to exactly where it needs to be for FREE!

Save money, and be safe this Summer on the road!