Your summer tires: are they adequate?

The requirement to use winter tires in Quebec may have secondary effects on tires used in the summer. Unless they are new, they have been stored from December to March and may have deteriorated in storage: some electrical components produce ozone that attacks the rubber of the tires. If the storage space is too hot, such as the furnace room, it also affects the rubber of the tires as well as grease, humidity and many chemicals.

When you have your summer tires installed, make sure the mechanic performs a thorough inspection to detect any drying or cracking. The tread should also be checked for wear. You may have forgotten when you put them in storage that the tread was too worn to run for another summer. If you install them on your car, you may find yourself driving a vehicle whose tires need to be replaced in a short period of time. Failure to do so will result in poor grip in turns or in the rain and longer braking distances.

In addition to the condition of the casing and the tread, it is also important to respect the inflation pressures recommended by the manufacturer. And if you load your vehicle more than the average, you should inflate them accordingly, always according to the manufacturer's recommendations. This is essential, especially if you are driving long distances at high speeds. An under-inflated tire can overheat and blow out.

You have to keep in mind that the tires are the only contact the car has with the road...