The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA PDF) claims that tire-related issues cause approximately 11,000 crashes and 200 casualties annually in the United States alone. In 2012, Consumer Reports shared an NHTSA study, which found that 5% of all vehicles studied experienced tire problems immediately before a crash. Using crash data from 2005 to 2007, before the advent of mandatory tire pressure monitoring systems, it revealed that 66% of crashes were composed of passenger cars.
Unfortunately, many of these could have been prevented with the right maintenance. By keeping the correct tire pressure, you’ll give your car better weight distribution, avoid blowouts, reduce rolling resistance, and keep your tire wear more even. Not to mention, considering how you could potentially spend $50 to over $1,000 for a single new tire, you can benefit from keeping it working for longer.
Depending on the root cause, you’ll be able to notice uneven tire wear on different areas of your tire, whether it’s the sides or the center. In addition, the type of wear, such as if it is patchy or appears to have diagonal scalloping, also reveals other potential problems with your vehicle. Although tire wear is part and parcel of the car owner’s experience, uneven tire wear can be avoided. Here are a few reasons why your car tires may be wearing unevenly and how to spot them.
