When you are driving around in your car, four things greatly impact your safety, your tires. And, unless you are lucky enough to live in the tropics, it's pretty likely that the seasons change where you're driving, bringing with them a shift in driving conditions. By purchasing a good set of all season tires you can avoid accidents and even save your own life! Good all season tires kept in good repair will keep your car hugging those curves and stopping on a dime, so it is of utmost importance that you acquire a set and maintain them properly.



To maintain your tires properly, you need to do more than simply replace them as their treads begin to wear down. Tire maintenance requires more than this of you, but nothing that is too strenuous once you understand what needs to be done. You have to rotate your all season tires as often as needed, so that the tires do not wear unevenly and maintain enough traction to ensure a sage ride. You should also drive in a way that does not damage your tires. That means, don't drive too quickly on dirt or gravel roads, try not to run into curbs and sidewalks, and not taking turns too quickly. Turning too quickly is one of the things that wear out all season tires more than anything else, except perhaps skidding to a stop by applying the brakes too abruptly.

It is also necessary that you take your car into the shop for tire related maintenance. I can commiserate with care enthusiasts who would love to do everything themselves, who love to fiddle with this or that piece of their engine, change their own oil. Before getting started as a mechanic, I was just such an automobile do-it-yourselfer, and never went to a garage for anything that I didn't think was completely necessary.

Tire installation though is not something that you should attempt to do yourself. It takes an expert to properly change tires. This is because of the precision adjustments that are involved. In order for tires to work properly, they all must be installed in a secure fashion. This means that they are all balanced, and you cannot ensure this without having specialized equipment.

Even though you might think, "sure, my car's all season tires aren't balanced, but it will still drive", you shouldn't drive around with unbalanced all season tires because that will make your car much less safe. Also, your tires will wear unevenly and have a much shorter lifespan, because more wear will be concentrated on less area. This, in the end, will cost you more money than it would just to have a professional install your all season tires.