Tires are an essential part of every car, serving as the only point of contact between the vehicle and the road. There are many things that can compromise tire performance, but one of the most important is the condition of the tread. And when it comes to tread condition, there are few things more dangerous than bald tires. Bald tires not only contain significant tread wear but also pose grave dangers to drivers and everyone else on the road. A thorough understanding of the kinds of accidents that can result from bald tires and the many ways in which regular tire maintenance can help avoid them is vital for ensuring road safety.

Bald tires are tires that have worn down to where the tread is nonexistent or almost so. A tire's tread is designed to do three things: give the tire traction, channel water away from the contact surface, and, overall, enable the kind of handling that you're not even aware of until it goes away. When the tread departs, the road-holding ability of the tire goes away with it. Three of the big safety organizations recommend a minimum of 2/32 of an inch of tread as healthy. With less than that, the tire is unsafe and should be changed as soon as possible.

There are many ways that bald tires can create dangerous situations while driving. The most direct is diminished traction, especially when the road surface is wet or slick. When water gets on the road, it can form a film that separates the tire from the surface of the road. In that predicament, the vehicle is most likely to hydroplane, which is when the tire is actually riding on top of the film of water and has no contact with the road itself. In that situation, the driver is not able to steer or stop in any effective manner. Also, of course, there's the increased risk of blowouts. A blowout can happen for any number of reasons, but baldness is definitely a factor that upps the odds. Once your tires are a bald, they're just waiting for an opportunity to overheat or fail structurally.

The early wearing out of tires, leading to baldness, has several causes. One of the main culprits is the tire not being properly inflated. A tire that doesn't have enough air will wear out far too much at its edges. Excess air, however, is bad too. A tire that has too much air will wear out down the center of the tread much too fast. Checking tire pressure regularly is the best way to ensure that the tire is either not flat or over-inflated. A flat tire that is not noticeable is one that is prone to far too much wear at its edges.

Another reason for tire wear is vehicle misalignment or imbalance. When the wheels aren't pointing in the right direction, it can lead to uneven tire wear. Of course, your driving style has an effect too. If you're prone to heavy acceleration and braking, or if you like to take corners in an aggressive manner, you're going to degrade your tires faster than someone with gentler habits. Finally, the kind of terrain you drive on, and the types of roads you take, are big factors as well. Paved roads always offer smoother, more even surfaces than unpaved ones, and "well-paved" is as good as it gets when it comes to road surfaces.

The hazards linked to bald tires can be avoided through proper tire maintenance. Maintenance involves not only checking the tires' air pressure but also ensuring that the tires and their equipment are in excellent condition. As such, drivers need to become accustomed to examining their tires for any sign of wear or imminent failure. This should be done in conjunction with a routine check for tread depth. The penny test is an easy and common way to perform this check.

Besides routine inspections, another key to tire longevity is regular rotation. The standard recommendation is to do this every 5,000 to 7,500 miles. Quite simply, tires that are rotated wear evenly. Tires that aren't rotated have a much greater chance of wearing unevenly and thus not lasting nearly as long. Another factor that contributes to "tire life" is tire balance. A tire that is out of balance will not wear evenly; thus, the life of that tire and, in all probability, the life of the tires that are on the same axle will be somewhat compromised. Finally, for longevity and performance, it is essential to use the right tire for your particular vehicle and driving conditions.

Significant risks are associated with reduced vehicle traction, increased blowout potential, and impaired vehicle handling. These are the basic dangers of going bald—in a tire sense, of course. Yet, we still see it too often. Utahns see it too often because we see so many who are not safely in control of their vehicles. Maintaining your tires shouldn't be viewed as a task to check off a to-do list; it has to be seen as a vital and regular part of safely operating a vehicle. Why? Because the next side-lapse we get dangerously close to may be due to someone riding on bald Nike treads or someone's attempting a pit stop in the garage.