Home » What is Tire Pressure and Why Should You Check It?

Tire pressure is one of those car phrases many of us have heard many times and never really stopped to think about. So, what is tire pressure and why is it so important for you to check it? In this article, Paule Towing in Belleville, Illinois explains how important this maintenance detail is if you want to accidents. To answer the first question, tire pressure is exactly what it sounds like. It is the amount of pressure the air in your tires are excerpting. This is usually measured in PSI, or pounds per square inch, in the United States.

How important is proper tire maintenance?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, around 200 people die annually from tire related accidents. If your tires aren’t properly filled, you are at risk for flats, or worse, blowouts. This could at best leave you stranded calling our roadside emergency service, or at worst cause an accident. Now that we have the heavy safety stuff out of the way, let’s talk about a topic that hits close to home for everyone: money. According to the NHTSA, properly inflated tires can save 11 cents per gallon on gas and extend the life of your tires by 4,700 miles! This is before considering how costly a blown tire can be.

What is the best way to handle tire pressure?

Checking your tire pressure frequently is the best idea, especially during the fall and winter. Cold weather causes your tires to lose air more quickly. Frequently checking tire pressure also helps to detect leaks. If your tires are losing air frequently, you may need to get them checked for leaks. Many modern cars have a dash light for low tire pressure, which typically looks like a exclamation mark in parenthesis (!) with a squiggle line under the exclamation mark The NHTSA recommends checking your tire pressure in all four tires plus your spare once per month while “cold.” When you check a tire while “cold”, you’re checking it before you drive on it.

What PSI should my tires have?

Typically, 35 PSI is what you want to shoot for. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all rule, though. It can vary from vehicle to vehicle to vehicle. To be safe and sure, consult your vehicle’s owner’s manual for more information.

Sometimes you just can’t avoid bad luck.

Even a well maintained vehicle will run into some bad luck. If that is the case and you have a flat or a blowout, give us Paule Towing a call at (618) 233-7464. If you have a flat that needs to be changed but aren’t comfortable with a jack and wrench, we offer tire changing services. If you don’t have a spare, we can tow you to a quality tire service provider. We can change car, truck, van, and SUV tires and get you back on the road. If your tires are worn out and but you don’t want to shell out for new ones, we also have used tires available for purchase. For more information, check out our services page.