Do you know how to inflate your tires properly? Do you know where you get the right PSI number for inflation? Many drivers do not. Moreover, many drivers don’t even bother to change their tires on time, leading to serious accidents. Sometimes, when a driver causes an accident, it is negligence in maintaining their vehicle that is actually the root cause of the problem. Because of this, an attorney that provides legal help for car crash victims will take a look at what happened. In some cases, it might actually come down to riding on bad tires and creating a hazard.
Knowing Your Own Tires
If you want to increase the safety you enjoy on the road, it makes sense to start from the ground up, literally. The tires on your vehicle constitute a system that is absolutely vital to having a proper level of safety.
When you take a look at your tire, you’ll find an inflation value, expressed in PSI, written on it. This is not the PSI that you need to inflate the tire to. This is actually the maximum pressure that the tire can safely take. If you take a look at your owner’s manual for your vehicle or, oftentimes, at a sticker inside the driver’s side door, you’ll find the proper inflation value. Your vehicle’s manufacturer determines the right inflation pressure for your car, so always use this number and not the one on your tires.
Tread
There are many different ways that you can test the tread on your tires, but it’s best to have a mechanic do it. When the tread gets worn down too far, your traction under any conditions is compromised. You absolutely have to make sure you have enough tread. Skidding into another vehicle in front of you is a very real possibility if you have bald tires and need to brake hard.
What if Someone Is Negligent?
Not maintaining your vehicle is most certainly a form of negligence. When you let a vehicle get too far out of repair, it becomes a serious hazard to anyone else on the road with it. If someone slammed into you because they had bald tires, bad brakes or some other problem, you may want to consider contacting a Dallas car accident lawyer about the matter. It may be possible to go after that driver in court for damages, which could help you recover financially from the accident.