What you don’t know about your tires could hurt you

Car owners who don’t regularly check their tire pressure could be paying higher fuel costs and increasing their risk of a collision.

Low tire pressure is a major cause of crashes. Experts say driving even a few pounds below the recommended air pressure can put you at risk of a crash because it gives you less control over your vehicle.

Most new vehicles have a tire pressure sensor, but by the time it is activated, the problem has already reached a critical point.

“Improperly inflated tires are a safety concern,” says Rene Pellerin of Kal Tire.

“Lower air pressure in a tire causes more flexing, More flexing causes heating. When we get heating, we get poor steering, poor braking. We can get enough heating that we actually have a complete tire failure when we’re driving down the road.”

If that isn’t enough to convince drivers, improper pressure can also affect fuel economy and cause tires to wear out more quickly.

Experts recommend drivers check their tire pressure at least once a month.