There are many reasons to be extra cautious when driving in the cold weather temperatures. The cold weather brings ice, rain, fog, and a whole host of other weather conditions that make it more dangerous to drive than other times of the year. But, the cold weather also brings wear and tear on your tires, which can be a real hazard.
The air inside of your tires is a gas, which means that during the hot weather the gas will expand and swell and during the cold weather the gas will contract.
The means that during the cold weather, the pressure in your tires is much lower than “normal”. This lower tire pressure can have some negative effects on your vehicle and how safe your vehicle is on the road.
Here are some reasons to keep an eye on your tire pressure, especially during the cold weather:
If your tires have a psi that is lower than recommended, the vehicle is essentially dragging along the ground rather than rolling. This causes the engine to have to work much harder to propel the car forward, and thus the decreased fuel economy.
Your car is designed to ride on a specific amount of air pressure. The aerodynamics of your car are contingent on the tires being filled to the recommended amount. If the tire pressure is too low, the integrity of the car cannot be insured and the car will not be as safe to drive as designed.
When the tires ride too low on the ground, there is more friction than necessary. This friction is uneven depending on the weight change of the car and the tread of the road. The tires will need to be replaced as sections of them will lose tread sooner than others.
The air pressure inside of your tires is what keeps your car up off of the road. Essentially, when your car is in motion, it is resting on rubber that is filled with air and the amount of air inside of the tires is directly related to the effective and safe operation of the car.
