National Tire Safety Week is later this month, and Discount Tire will team up with the AAA Michicgan’s Show Your Card and Save promotion to offer free tire inspection services. Any consumer that visits a Discount Tire story will receive a free inspection, which takes three to five minutes. It includes a check of tire tread depth, tire age, air and a visual inspection by automotive technicians checking for cracks or breaks in the tire and objects, such as nails, embedded in the tire. Those bringing their vehicles to Discount Tire during the week of April 21-26 will receive a free tire air gauge, tread depth gauge card and a list of tire safety tips. AAA members also receive a five percent discount on any purchases of wheels and tires. "Tire inspection is an important safety service for all vehicles," says Gerry Gutowski, AAA Michigan Senior Vice President, Automotive Services. "Under inflation or overloading creates excessive stress and heat, which can lead to tire failure and result in vehicle damage." Gutowski noted that properly inflated tires also help improve gas mileage - very important as motorists face current record-high gas prices. Properly inflated tires also help the environment, as regular care helps tires last longer. Tim Ehinger, Discount Tire vice president for the East Michigan region, added that a tire can lose as much as 50 percent of its inflation pressure and not appear to be flat. "Tires should be regularly checked for wear or damage," he states. "Tires should also be rotated as recommended by the manufacturer, and motorists should remember to check the spare tire." According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
• 27 percent of passenger cars and 32 percent of pickup trucks, SUVs and minivans have at least one significant under-inflated tire.
• 9 percent of tires on the road are "bald."
• Inflation pressure in a tire goes up in warm weather or down in cold weather 1 to 2 pounds for every 10 degrees of temperature change. As tires wear, traction is reduced, particularly in bad weather. An easy way to check tire wear is to place a quarter into the tire treads groove with Washington's head toward the tire. (Tread depths should be checked in all grooves across the entire width of the tire.) If any part of Washington's head is covered by the tread, the tire still has an adequate amount of tread. If you can see Washington’s entire head, you should seriously begin thinking about new tires. Although this let's you know how much tread is left on the tire there are other things that should be considered as well such as tire age, ozone damage, cuts, snags, cracks and tread separations. Other tire care tips to make driving safer and less expensive:
• Do not run over curbs or hit your tires against a curb when parking.
• Do not overload your vehicle. Check your vehicle's tire information in the owner's manual for the maximum recommended load for your vehicle.
• Practice good driving habits - avoid fast starts, stops and turns.
• Avoid potholes and other objects on the road. | 
