KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The roads are still cold and icy, and with more snow expected soon, there's no better time to check your tires.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says bad tires contribute to thousands of crashes each year.
Local tire shops around Kansas City say this time of year is particularly busy because people are trying to replace their worn tires to drive safely on the snow.
Calvin Williamson manages Calley Tires in KC. He says the old penny trick to check if your tire's tread is above 2/32 of an inch, the legal limit in Missouri, is helpful, but there is a better way to check your tread bars.
"Okay, see these little beads right here in the middle right here?" he said, pointing to a small raised strip of rubber in the grooves of a tire's tread. "Those are called low tread indicators, and they're all the way around right there on the tire and they'll even themselves out ... When those rise above this tread right here, it's time to replace them."
Some believe letting air out of your tires in snowy or icy weather can improve traction. That can be true for sand but not necessarily snow.
Williamson recommends against airing tires down. He says it decreases the tire's handling and braking performance.
Instead, he advises drivers to run at their tire's recommended pressure.
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