So, let me ask you this essential question. How often do you check the pressure of your tires? If you don’t have an answer, well… you’re not alone. Unfortunately!! The thing is that you should have an answer because checking your tires should be a regular part of your maintenance schedule. There are some things that you should absolutely leave to the professionals, but checking your tires is something that you should be doing yourself at home reasonably often. Check out how often you should do it, why you should do it, and learn a little bit more about tires and their lifespans!

In all honesty, you should be checking your tires at least once a week. It seems like a lot but it takes about thirty seconds and you don’t need anything besides a tire pressure gauge to do it. Look at the pressure, add air if your tires are a little low, and there you go. How do you know what the pressure in your tires should be? That information is on a sticker located on the inside of your driver’s side door jamb. It’s also in your owner’s manual and might even be on the outside of the physical tires, stamped into the rubber.

Checking the tread of your tires is also important. For this, you’ll need a penny. To use it, put the penny into your tire’s tread with Lincoln’s head pointing towards the ground (or center of the tire). If you can see the top of his head, you need new tires very soon.

Tires should last for about five years or so, but some factors go into the premature wear of your tires. They are:

• Low tire pressure

• Overinflated tires

• Aggressive driving

• Improper alignment

To combat these, make sure your tires are always inflated (which also improves your MPG’s) and have your auto tech check your tires and rotate them, as well as check the alignment of your vehicle, at every oil change.