It’s no secret that you’ll be hitting the road a lot this summer, and it’s important to emphasize that your tires need to be in tip-top shape. Why you might ask? Well, even if your vehicle is jam-packed with safety technologies, your vehicle will still not be safe if you’re driving without good tires. Your vehicle’s tires are what bring the vehicle to a stop, what keeps you from slipping and sliding, what grips you to the ground,   without good tire tread, you are putting you and your passengers in danger.

Before you hit the road this summer, it is important to check our tire tread to make sure it is a proper tread level. So what is good tread thickness? Great question! This week’s blog is dedicated to just that, helping you figure out if your tread level is on point or not! Luckily for you, you can figure that out in just one simple step from the comfort of your home! No really, you don’t need to know anything about cars to check your tires, thanks to the penny test! What’s the penny test? Well, we’re glad you asked! Check it out below!

The penny test: Insert a penny right into the tread groove with Lincoln’s head facing upside down in the tread facing toward you. Once the penny is inserted, if you can see the entire head, your tread depth is less than 2/32” and that means you need to replace your tires ASAP.

The quarter test: As we did before, place the quarter upside down into the tread groove with Washington’s head facing toward you. If the tread reaches Washington’s head, you have at least 4/32” of tread remaining, AKA you’re tires are still in good shape and there’s nothing to worry about!

No coins? No problem! Take a look at your tread wear indicator bar that is molded onto the tread of your tires. These bars are found at the bottom of the tread grooves in multiple spots. When these bars are visibly flush with the adjacent ribs, your tire has no more than 2/32” of tread left. This is a visible indication that you need new tires for your vehicle!

You should monitor your tread depth closely once it reaches 4/32 inch deep. If you want to check it yourself, here’s how to assess your tread depth:

• 4/32” or deeper = good
• 3/32” = replace tire soon
• 2/32” or fewer = replace tires now