One of the most important things you can do before a road trip, or, even, on a regular basis, is to check the tires of your car for wear and tear. While on the road, safety is key and good tires play an important role in not just maintaining the car well but in keeping the passengers safe too. There are several things you should keep an eye on in order to maintain the tires well. Given below are three things to keep in mind when looking at a car tire safety checklist:

Inflation pressure
The lifespan of your tires depends on how you maintain the inflation pressure. If the air pressure in the tires is not maintained at the required level, it can lead to internal damage and eventually cause failure of tires. It is necessary to check the pressure of tires once a month, at least. Per square inch, tires lose a pound of pressure every month. Inflation pressure changes according to seasons. In cold weather, the pressure tends to change by a PSI for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit change. Keep a tire pressure gauge handy to measure the inflation pressure and keep adjusting the inflation pressure as required. Every vehicle has a different PSI (pound per square inch) and this is determined by the manufacturer of the vehicle based on the load capacity, fuel economy, comfort, performance, and wear and tear.

Rotation
Car tires need to be rotated regularly to even out the wear and tear on the tread. It also helps in aligning the car better. Every vehicle comes with a different rotation recommendation. If you are not sure of what the recommendation is, ensure you rotate the tires every 6,000 miles. Ensure that the car is always aligned properly. If not, there will be more wear and tear, which in turn will cause tires to be replaced more often. Cars with front wheel drive have steering and driving focused on the front wheel and cars with rear wheel driving have the braking forces acting on it. However, this causes more wear and tear for the front wheels. This can be dealt with modified cross rotation.

Inspection
The first thing to do is to inspect the tread depth. Tread depth ensures the tires have enough traction on the road. The next is tire pressure. Check the pressure with the help of the gauge head after taking off the valve stem cap. Never do this when the tires are hot. Inspect the tires for cracks, scrapes, and bumps. Ensure you change tires after a maximum of ten years.

Another factor is oil inspection. After fuel, oil is definitely the most significant fluid for your vehicle. The more you run your vehicle, the dirtier the oil gets. Impure, contaminated oil can cause damage to the engine of the car in the long run. Regular oil changes help prevent this damage to the engine and can keep it running smoothly. Ensure that you don’t miss out on oil changes, or drive too long without changing oil or exceed the given mileage before which you should change oil. This is in order to prevent quickened wear and tear, keep the engine running smoothly and prevent breakdowns.