Treading on in the hot sun
Keeping safe while summer driving
Getting stuck on the side of the road after your car breaks down is no fun, and it can be downright deadly this time of year in triple digit temperatures. To steer clear of such an occurrence before it happens, there are simple and effective precautions drivers can take before hitting the open road.
“Motorists should make sure their cars are in good condition before traveling and do a safety check, including making sure tires are properly inflated and the tread is in good condition,” Ed Joyce, Caltrans public information officer, said Tuesday via email.
Elaine Beno, a spokesperson for Automobile Club of Southern California, said planning ahead is essential.
“If you are getting ready for a summer road trip, you not only want to make sure that you are doing the right things in terms of getting to your destination by pre-planning your travel plans, but you also want to” have your vehicle inspected by a mechanic “before you get out on the road,” she told Imperial Valley Press over the phone Monday.
“People get so busy these days that they forget that the car needs a checkup before we depart. There are a couple of things … that are not being checked that frequently that cause people to get stranded on the side of the road.”
A leading cause of being stranded roadside is improper tire maintenance, Beno said.
“You want to check your tires for uneven wear, excessive tread wear and to make sure that the tires — including the spare, if you have a spare — are properly inflated … to the recommended tire pressure,” she said.
“What really is the truth is that underinflated tires are a safety hazard and they will also reduce your gas mileage … by as much as 2 percent. It is a safety hazard, and you are losing money.”
Good news: Since 1999, service stations in California are required by law to provide customers with free air and water for their vehicles when they purchase gas at the pump. More good news, since September 2010, all automotive service providers in the state are required by law to check and inflate each vehicle’s tires to the recommended tire pressure rating at the time of performing any automotive maintenance or repair service.
With those measures in place, there really is no good reason to be driving on underinflated tires. Still, only 19 percent of Californians properly check and inflate their tires, according to the California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board.