How Worn Tires Affect Stopping Distance - A Mom's Guide To Car

I’ve written a lot about car maintenance over the last few years. It’s a topic that I’m interested not because I’m super into cars or am very mechanically inclined, but simply because I want to be safe on the road.

I have a large family and when I’m driving my kids around I want to make sure I’m in a vehicle that is safe to drive them around in. I want to know that every time I get behind the wheel, the car I’m driving is as safe as possible.

In order to ensure things are working as they should, there are many things a responsible driver needs to check each year. While we all know we should change the oil periodically, little things like functioning wiper blades and tires with good tread all go into making your vehicle safer.

Can Worn Tires Affect Your Stopping Distance?

I talked to my friends and Victorville Motors and Mopar to get some tips and was surprised by how much difference good tread on a set of tires makes when it comes to being able to stop your car.

Dangers Of Driving With Worn Tires

The tread depth on your tires should be more than 2/32 of an inch deep, but really 4/32 is a safer tread depth. The bottom line is that it is extremely dangerous to drive on worn, bald and low tread tires. Several reasons are listed below.

As we’ve seen in the video above, when roads are wet, worn tires affect a car’s ability to brake quickly and efficiently.
A car is more likely to hydroplane with low tread tires.
Worn and bald tires are not able to gain traction on snow-covered and icy roads.
Low tread tires are more susceptible to punctures, which can lead to sudden blowouts.
Worn tires are more likely to lose air pressure, which impacts a car’s fuel economy, braking, and steering. Low pressure is also a major cause of tire blowouts, and blowouts can potentially lead to losing control of a vehicle.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends checking tire tread levels monthly. Learn how to quickly check your tire tread by clicking here.

Need more tire tips? Check out my posts on Why it’s important to rotate your tires, How to change a flat tire, and don’t forget to check out my Vehicle Preparation For Different Climates. Temperature does make a difference in how you treat your vehicle!