What are the best car tires?

A lot of thought has gone into the latest automotive safety technology. Most people today would not dream of driving a car without things like electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes and airbags. Yet one of the most important safety features of a car is something most people do not even think of as a safety feature: the tires.

Car tires

The tires connect the car to the road. They provide the traction that lets the car stop, move forward and turn. Having the wrong (or unsafe) tires on your car is like wearing the wrong shoes. But instead of just tripping and falling with the wrong shoes, the consequences of using the wrong tires can be far more serious.

Tires have five main components. The bead is essentially a steel cable encased in rubber. It runs along the inner edge of the tire and keeps the tire seated on the wheel. The body of the tire consists of layers of strong fabric. Each layer is called a ply. The more plies, the stronger the tire. Some tires have steel belts under the tread, and these are known as steel-belted radial tires. The steel belts help the tire resist punctures better. In addition, the belts also help keep the tire somewhat flatter, increasing the amount of rubber that is in contact with the road. That improves the vehicle’s traction, giving the car more grip. The sidewall is the side edge of the tire. It keeps all the inner parts tightly enclosed. And the tread is the rubber part of the tire that actually contacts the road.

Although most tires share these basic components, there are many different types of tires available, under many different names. Because tires come on every car and are such an important safety feature, you may well wonder whether some tires are safer than others. Keep reading to find out.

Different tires and different functions

There are many different tires on the market. You can get anything from racing slicks to mud and snow tires, not to mention the all-season tires that most new cars come with. When it comes to tire safety, the safest tires are the ones that match your vehicle well and are properly maintained.
You determine which tires suit your vehicle based on several factors. This starts with making sure your tires physically fit your car. If you put tires of the wrong size on a car, this can have a negative effect on its handling and maneuverability. In addition, different tires have different load ratings. If you fit tires to a car that can only carry a certain weight and your car exceeds that amount, you are asking for trouble.

Besides matching the tires to the car, they must also match how a driver intends to use the car. If you drive through mud, snow or other conditions that reduce traction, you need a tire that can compensate for the loss of grip, such as mud and snow tires. If you often drive in the rain, you need tires with a tread pattern that can channel water safely away from the tire’s contact patch. If the tire cannot effectively clear water from under it, the driver runs the risk of aquaplaning and losing control.

While choosing the right tire is important, so is the age and wear of the tires. Heavily worn tires have limited contact with the road, and what contact they do have will be significantly reduced. Plus, when a tire’s tread is worn, it is less able to channel away things like water, snow and ice, which increases the chance of skids.

Tires that are too small or overloaded also increase the risk of accidents because they do not make optimal contact with the road. Not to mention that an overloaded tire is much easier to puncture and blow out.

The best way to maintain your tires and make sure they are safe is to check once a month that they are properly inflated. Have your tires rotated regularly. You should also visually inspect your tires on a regular basis. Look for things like flaky rubber or debris embedded in the tire.
Finally, check the tread wear with the penny test: take an ordinary copper penny and place it in the tread of your tire with Lincoln’s head facing down. If you can see the space above Lincoln’s head and the rim of the penny, your tire tread is too shallow. It is time for new tires.

So are some tires safer than others? The short answer is YES. The safest tires are the ones that are well matched to the vehicle they are fitted to, the way they are used, and that are properly maintained.

Read more about the Top 10 car tire providers and when you should replace your tires.