AAA: Worn vehicle tires linked to 653 crashes in Connecticut

Last year, Connecticut had 653 tire-related crashes in which 246 people were injured or killed, according to the UConn Crash Data Repository.

AAA is using those numbers to remind drivers of the importance of having good tires on your vehicle.

With nearly 800,000 crashes occurring on wet roads each year, AAA urges drivers to check tread depth regularly, replace tires proactively, and increase following distances significantly during rainy conditions.

“Tires are what keep cars connected to the road,” Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman, said in a release.

“And wear has a significant impact on how quickly a vehicle can stop in wet conditions.”

Even the most advanced safety systems rely on a tire’s basic ability to maintain traction, Mayko added. “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.”

Driving on worn tires at highway speeds on wet pavement increases your average stopping distance by 43 percent, compared to new tires, according to AAA.

In wet conditions, tires can hydroplane — completely lose contact with the road and skid. The depth of a tire’s tread plays a significant role: the lower the tread depth, the more likely a car will hydroplane

Mayko said most states have a legal minimum tiretread depth and industry guidelines frequently recommend drivers wait until tread depth reaches 1/16th of an inch to replace tires.

However, AAA feels even this is too little tread to drive on safely and recommends motorists replace tires when they have of an inch of tread remaining

In Connecticut, drivers aren’t allowed to drive on tires with tread depths below 1/16th of an inch. To easily determine that measurement, slip an upsidedown quarter between your tire grooves, and look at Washington’s head. If you can see all of it, it’s time to shop for new tires.

While the AAA research found that tire performance does vary by brand, price isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality. In fact, worn tire performance deteriorated significantly for all tires tested, including those at a higher price point.

The AAA research found that compared to new tires, tires with a an inch of tread depth:

⏩ Increased stopping distance by an average of 87 feet for a passenger car and 86 feet for a light truck; and

⏩ Reduced handling ability by an average of 33 percent for a passenger car and 28 percent for the light truck.

Weston Volunteer Fire Department / Contributed photo Firefighters and emergency medical services responded to a one-car crash on a wet Weston road in April.