Safe driving tire management in spring..Wear tires are twice as long as braking distance
Mar 21, 2025
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In particular, if you are still operating a vehicle equipped with winter tires, it is recommended to replace it with a tire suitable for the season. Winter tires are optimized for winter driving, so they are effective in grip and braking performance when driving on snow and icy roads, but it is difficult to demonstrate their advantages in driving environments other than winter.
Accordingly, Hankook Tire proposes 'tire safety management tips' for safe and pleasant driving in spring.
■ Tire wear, safe driving Maginot Line 1.6mm? 3mm!
Many drivers are aware of the dangers of tire wear on spring rain roads, but they are often not able to take a close look because they do not have much experience in actual dangerous situations. In fact, if the braking force test is carried out with the same tire wear condition, the sliding distance on the wet road surface will be more than 1.5 times longer than on the normal road.
The rain slip phenomenon is deeply related to the drainage capacity of the tire. The tire drains water on the road through a groove between the rubber layers called the tread (the tire surface in contact with the ground), which reduces drainage capacity by making the groove shallow if the tire is excessively worn, and in severe cases, creates a water film phenomenon between the tire and the road surface.
The water curtain phenomenon intensifies at high speed, and the risk is so great that it is said that a vehicle with severe tire wear runs at high speed on a wet road surface is similar to driving on water.
According to the results of the experiment on Hankook Tire, the depth of the groove was 1.6mm, with a difference in braking force nearly twice that of a new tire with a groove depth of 7mm during sudden braking after running more than 100km/h on a wet road. Moreover, in the cornering experiment at the speed of 80km/h, the danger was clearly revealed, with tires with little wear sliding about 2 to 3 meters, while tires with severe wear falling off the road.
Looking at the tire replacement cycle according to the tire groove depth, most drivers consider replacing the tire when the wear limit of 1.6mm is reached, but Hankook Tire proposes to replace the tire with a groove depth of about 3mm for safe driving.
■ Air pressure check for safe driving, extending tire life, reducing fuel efficiency, etc
If the tire wear and tear check has been completed, the tire pressure should be checked in the next step. This is because maintaining proper air pressure is an important factor for tire management as much as tire wear. When the air pressure is insufficient, the rotational resistance increases, and the movement of each part of the tire increases, resulting in excessive heat. In addition, a standing wave occurs, which is a phenomenon in which the tire surface seems to be wavy during high-speed driving, and in the worst case, the tire can be flat, which is very dangerous.
Conversely, if the air pressure is excessive, the buffer capacity may be reduced, which may deteriorate the ride comfort and cause a body failure. And because all parts of the tire are tightly swollen, tire damage easily occurs from sudden external shocks, and early wear occurs in the central part.
So, keep the proper air pressure so that the entire tread area of the tire is evenly in contact with the ground. Maintaining the proper air pressure of the tire allows the overall wear and tear to extend the life of the tire and reduce fuel efficiency, making it easy and effective for drivers to manage the tire.
■ It is important to install seasonal tires for climate situations
If you are driving a vehicle equipped with winter tires, it is suggested to replace it with a tire for all seasons. Winter tires are optimized for winter driving, so they are effective in grip and braking when driving on snow and icy roads, but noise is generated when driving on general roads and tire wear is accelerated when driving. Therefore, it is desirable to replace it with tires for all seasons in spring when the weather of the video is expected to continue.
■ Professional tire management is carried out at T-Station, a tire-centered automobile total service store
For safe and pleasant driving throughout the four seasons, tire wear and air pressure should be checked periodically, but most drivers are likely to miss tire management in their busy daily lives. Therefore, it is recommended to receive meticulous management through specialized service stores. T'Station, a tire-centered automobile total service shop of Hankook Tire, provides customers with a pleasant driving experience with professional manpower and advanced equipment with accumulated technology.
In particular, the customer's convenience has been further strengthened with the 'T-Station All my T service', which manages everything from convenient tire purchase to inspection and operation at once. "All my T Service" consists of "Smart Buy," which easily compares and selects products suitable for customers and provides reasonable price benefits, "Smart Service," which provides the best car life care according to the customer's schedule, and "Smart Drive," which guarantees the best tire quality control.
T-Station' is Hankook Tire's official automobile total service brand that provides a variety of automobile services such as tire replacement and vehicle maintenance at 500 stores nationwide. It is providing differentiated O2O (Online to Offline) services through the online platform 'T-Station Dotcom' and increasing customer satisfaction.
1. It is recommended to have a tire inspection once a month.
2. Tires below the wear limit of 1.6 mm should not be used, and it is suggested that the tire replacement should be considered with a margin of about 3 mm.
3. Tires should be managed to maintain proper air pressure that meets the standard at all times.
4. In the case of long-distance high-speed driving, it is recommended to take a break every two hours to cool down the accumulated heat inside the tire due to continuous driving.
5. Wound tires may rupture during operation, so inspect them at a nearby store and replace them with new tires if there is a risk of wound reaching.
6. Spare tires must be checked for air pressure, presence of wounds, remaining groove depth, etc. so that they can be used immediately when needed.
Editor Kim Tae-jin, tj.kim@carguy.kr
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
