It is easy to overlook your tires during the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Between getting the kids in the car, buying gas, getting the kids out of the car, and getting yourself to work, it is easy to find yourself doing the bare minimum when it comes to weekly or monthly car maintenance. However, if you find yourself overlooking regular maintenance of your tires, you need to figure out how to set aside a chunk of your day each week to look after your tires and check their pressure.

Tire pressure measures the amount of air within the vehicle's tires, and is measured in pounds per square inch (psi). To check the pressure, you need to have an electronic tire pressure gauge, which will give you an instant reading as to their psi. Keeping up with your tire pressure is a crucial maintenance task, as the tires are quite possibly the most important aspect of your car to keep you safe. If the tire pressure of your vehicle is off, even by a few pounds, it can affect your ability to brake, as well as the stability of your car and the fuel efficiency during your daily commute. Incorrect pressure can also, in the worst-case scenario, can lead to tire failure which could cause an accident, putting you and your passengers at risk.

Ken Garff Dodge states, "the incorrect psi can affect your vehicle and tires in a number of ways, depending on whether the psi is too high or too low." A psi that is to high creates less of a grip on the road, and can cause your vehicle to bounce more violently over every bump and leading to a less enjoyable, smooth ride. If your tires are not touching the ground correctly because the psi is too high, the traction of your vehicle lessens, which can create issues with the responsiveness of your brakes. Alternately, if your tire is too low in psi, too much of the tire will be touching the ground, which will lead to an increase in friction. This friction will encourage your tires to heat up, which will consistently wear away at the tread and lead to a tire that does not work correctly.

It is important to check your tire pressure weekly, so that you can consistently keep tabs on the effectiveness of your brakes. If you find yourself consistently having to add air to your tires, you will know that there is something wrong with the tire itself, and can proactively take it to the mechanic and have it fixed. You owe it to yourself and your passengers to consistently check the pressure of your tires, as the outcome can not only affect the enjoyability of your ride, but the safety of you and your passengers.