Well-maintained tires improve safety, save fuel and last thousands of miles longer. Focus on three things.

Pressure

Check tire pressure monthly when the tires are cold, and follow the figure on the door-jamb sticker — not the maximum printed on the tire. Under-inflated tires wear at the edges and waste fuel; over-inflated tires wear in the centre.

Rotation

Rotate your tires every 5,000 to 8,000 miles so they wear evenly. Front tires on most cars wear faster because of steering and braking loads.

Tread depth

The legal minimum is 1.6mm, but grip in the wet drops sharply below 3mm. Use the coin test or the built-in tread-wear bars. Replace tires in pairs or sets for balanced handling.

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