Whether they admit it or not, many folks are sticklers for checking the “Best before” label on medicines and food. This practice, while bordering on obsessive-compulsive behavior, is actually helpful as it ensures that we’re getting nothing but the freshest products. But did you know that this doesn’t always work?
Before you panic and think that the apple you’re eating is rotten, allow us to explain. This notion that you don’t necessarily need to check the manufacture date refers to your vehicle’s tires. Michelin, one of the world’s leading tire brands, notes that a tire’s wear and tear doesn’t start upon its production or once it rolls off the assembly line (no pun intended). On the contrary, it begins once the tire is installed on a vehicle.
Due to factors like high speed driving, stop-and-go traffic, acceleration, sudden braking, and friction, the rubber surface is put under a lot of stress. Add to these, sharp objects and road debris, and those occasional curbside run-ins and you’ve got a recipe for sheer damage. Oh, and did we mention under inflation?
Michelin even conducted studies in Saudi Arabia, Korea, and Germany that showed how tire age isn’t necessarily a measure of how well those round things are doing. A one-year old tire installed on a car in storage, for instance, was pretty much in the same condition as a three-year old one sitting on the tire rack at the car shop. That’s because before they are placed on a vehicle, tires are essentially uninflated are only subjected to minor exposure.
All is not lost, however. Simple routine maintenance like proper alignment, measuring tread depth, damage inspection, and of course, correct tire pressure can all ensure that your vehicle’s rubber will serve you as long as possible. After all, as Michelin says, tires aren’t bananas that can easily be thrown away once they’re rotten. They are still the main safety tool that will help keep you and your loved ones out of harm’s way.
