10 Dangers of Driving on Worn-Out Tires

Close Up Of Flat Tire On A Car

Tires aren’t glamorous. They’re big, black pieces of rubber that we spend most of our time ignoring. Often the only time we think about them is when something goes wrong, but we should all pay more attention to the condition of our tires.

It’s tempting to put off having them replaced because of the expense, but that’s a bad idea. Tires are your car’s connection with the road, and they play an important role in keeping you safe. Here are 10 dangers of driving on worn-out tires to help convince you it’s time to get those tires checked.

1. Stopping distances are longer on wet roads.

When you hit the brake pedal, a good set of tires will help quickly and securely bring the car to a stop. Driving with worn tires can take what would be merely an abrupt stop that does nothing more than cause a moment’s panic and turn it into an accident.

The more worn the tire tread, the longer the stopping distance when you hit the brakes, especially in wet weather. How quickly your tires wear out will depend on where you drive, how you drive, and even the kind of car you drive. It’s hard to notice an increased stopping distance on your own, which is why it’s important to have a professional check your tires for signs of wear.

2. There's an increased risk of hydroplaning.

The tread on your tire is a pattern of grooves and cuts that serve an important purpose. They bite into the water and siphon it away from the tire, helping the rubber connect with the road and helping you stay in control. If those treads get too low, then this process doesn’t happen with the same efficiency. Instead of the tires cutting through the water, they skate across the top. That’s called hydroplaning.

You might briefly experience the sensation of your car sliding on the water when you hit a particularly deep puddle. It can happen even with new tires, but if you consistently feel that sliding sensation when the roads are wet, then it’s time to have your tires checked.

3. Handling worsens.

Your tires are the only part of your car that touches the road. No matter how good the rest of your car is, if the tires aren’t doing their job, then it isn’t going to handle well. It’s most noticeable in wet or snowy weather, but even on dry roads, worn tires reduce handling abilities. 

Emergency maneuvers, like swerving out of the way if someone cuts you off, get more difficult to control with worn-out tires. This increases your chance of getting into an accident. Driving in high-speed traffic is also more dangerous, as worn out tires are more likely to slide with quick turns at speed. Worn tires reduce handling and increase the risk you’ll lose control of your vehicle.

4. Traction is reduced in snow and ice.

Driving on roads covered with snow or ice is a particularly risky prospect with worn tires. Much like the way the tread pattern works to push water out of the way when roads are wet, it also helps improve traction when the roads are covered in snow. Take a look at a winter tire and you’ll see a more aggressive tread. If you let that wear away, then you’re setting yourself up for all kinds of trouble.

A worn tire in winter makes an already dicey situation more dangerous. Stopping distances increase and handling gets worse just when you need it most. Whether you have all-season or winter tires on your car, if the tire is worn out, then it should be replaced.

Photo by General Motors

5. There's a greater risk of tire punctures.

Tires are tough, but nails, broken glass, and pieces of metal at just the right angle can puncture straight into your tire. The tread helps keep this damage from happening because it makes it more difficult for debris to get into your tire in the first place. It also provides a thicker surface that takes more effort to puncture.

A worn tire is an easy target for road debris. It fails to keep things from getting at the tire. And when a stray nail does find its way past the tread when the tire is thin from wear, then it’s easy for that nail to pop right through. A healthy tire tread helps protect your tires from puncture damage.

6. You could be breaking the law.

The general rule of thumb is that a tire needs to be replaced when the tread gets down to 2/32 of an inch. When you take your car in for an inspection, that’s what the technicians are checking to see if your tires are worn out. However, the legal tread depth isn’t the same everywhere. Every state sets its own guidelines, so be sure you’re in compliance with your state’s laws.

The penny test is a quick way to check your tread depth on your own. Simply insert a penny into the tread with Lincoln’s head facing down and toward you. If you can see the top of his head, then the tread is dangerously low.

Photo by Adobe Stock

7. Heat can build up dangerously.

Tires get hot when we drive, especially during summer weather, so they’re designed to stand up to heat with specially formulated compounds and tread patterns that help dissipate the heat. This keeps your tires cool, but a worn tire without the proper tread is more likely to run hot — and that can cause problems.

Sometimes you can even smell the burned rubber when you get out of your car, which means you’re making your worn tires even worse and thinning that tread further with every mile. No matter the weather, a worn tire that runs hot is a danger that should be replaced.

8. The tires may lose pressure.

Sometimes a puncture is immediately noticeable with a sudden loss of air pressure, but it can also be a slow process. A leaking tire with a slow reduction in air pressure gradually reduces how well your car handles. The damage isn’t always immediately visible, so topping off the air might be only a temporary fix before the problem slowly reappears over time.

A worn tread makes your tires more susceptible to damage that causes tires to slowly lose air. Not only is it dangerous to drive this way, it’s annoying trying to figure out the root cause of the air loss. Replace your tires when they’re worn out and you can avoid this problem.

9. There's greater risk of blowouts.

If you’ve spent any time driving down the highway, then you’ve likely seen big pieces of tire treads on the side of the road and in the breakdown lane. Those pieces of tire are evidence of blowouts, which are something we all want to avoid.

A blowout is a sudden loss of air pressure that causes a tire to essentially blow apart. It’s a dramatic, frightening tire failure, and one that makes a car difficult to control. A worn tire is more susceptible to blowouts because the thin rubber is more easily damaged. Replace worn tires and you’ll reduce your risk of having to handle a blowout.

10. They cost more in the long run.

Tires aren’t cheap. They’re a big investment, so it might seem like you’ll get the most for your money if you leave them on your car for as long as possible. While there’s no need to replace tires while they’re still good, waiting too long can be much more expensive in the end.

Worn tires make your car more prone to all sorts of problems from blowouts to accidents. If those things happen, you’ll not only have to replace your tires, but you’ll have to deal with the added expense and inconvenience of additional vehicle repairs. Replace worn out tires promptly before they cause more costly problems.

Photo by Adobe Stock