Page 35 - AAA Magazine – AAA Ohio Auto Club – November 2019

Worn Tires Put Drivers at Risk
Wet winter weather could spell disaster for millions
of unsuspecting drivers. Recent AAA research reveals driving on relatively worn tires at highway speeds in wet conditions can increase average stopping distances 43% , or an additional 87 feet – more than the length of a semi-truck trailer – when compared to new tires. AAA urges drivers to check tread depth regularly, replace tires proactively, and increase following distances on wet roads.
“Tires are what keep a car connected to the road,” said John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. “Even the most advanced safety systems rely on a tire’s basic ability to maintain traction, and AAA’s testing shows that wear has a significant impact on how quickly a vehicle can come to a stop in wet conditions to avoid a crash.”
TIRE TESTING
In partnership with the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Automotive Research Center, AAA conducted testing to understand performance differences on wet pavement at highway speeds between new all-season tires and those worn to a tread depth of 4/32”.
The research found that compared to new tires, those worn to a tread depth of just 4/32” exhibit:
• An average increased stopping distance of 87 feet for
a passenger car and 86 feet for a light truck.
• An average reduction in handling ability of 33% for a
passenger car and 28% for the light truck.
In addition, while tire performance does vary by brand, price is not necessarily an indicator of quality. In fact, tire performance deteriorated for all tires tested as they became worn.
PREVENTING WET WEATHER CRASHES
In wet conditions, tires can completely lose contact with the road and skid or hydroplane. Nearly 800,000 crashes occur on wet roads every year across the U.S.
Industry guidelines and Ohio law require drivers to replace tires when the tread depth reaches 2/32”. This jeopardizes a driver’s safety, since the lower the tread depth, the more likely a car will hydroplane. To improve safety, AAA recommends drivers:
• Keep tires properly inflated and rotate them regularly. • Check tread depth once a month by placing a quarter upside down in the tire tread: If you can see the top
of Washington’s head, replace the tires. This indicates
the tread depth is below 4/32”.
• On wet roads, never use cruise control, avoid hard
braking, reduce speed and increase following distance.
PRE-WINTER TIRE SALE
If your tires are wearing low on tread, stay safe on the road this winter with a member-exclusive deal on new tires from AAA Car Care Plus.
During November and December, buy three Michelin, BFGoodrich or Uniroyal tires and get the fourth tire free at all AAA Car Care Plus facilities in the Columbus area. You can check models and pricing by accessing our online tire quoter at AAA.com/Tires.
For complete details on the sale, including installation, disposal and state tire fees, visit AAA.com/CarCarePlus or call any AAA Car Care Plus location.
Online Traffic Safety Resources
SENIOR DRIVING RESOURCES
SeniorDriving.AAA.com: This interactive website provides seniors and their families with information, tools and resources to help keep them driving as long as safely possible.
RoadwiseRX.com: Developed by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Roadwise Rx is a free online tool to help drivers and their families understand common side effects of prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications and herbal supplements. It also flags interactions between these medications that can impact safety behind the wheel.
TEEN DRIVING RESOURCES
Keys2Drive (TeenDriving.AAA.com):
This comprehensive, interactive, teen driver website contains state-specific driving and licensing information for teens and their parents to guide families through the learning-to-drive process.
StartSmart Parent Session: The StartSmart program helps families get through the crucial period when teens are learning to drive. The StartSmart Online Parent Session and StartSmart email newsletters are both designed to help parents teach their teens to drive safely and work together with their teen to reduce risk (available through TeenDriving.AAA.com).
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