As much as I like to think the holidays season is a time to slow down and reflect, in reality, things can feel busier than ever as Christmas grows near. Aside from the usual responsibilities, you have to find time to decorate the house, pick up the Christmas tree, shop for presents, make something for the potluck at work, attend your niece’s choir performance, stop by Susan’s Christmas party… and the list goes on.
The Truth About Worn Tires is written in collaboration with MICHELIN®, however, all opinions are mine alone.
Before you get too caught up in the chaos of the holiday season – as welcome as it may be – pause for a moment and ask yourself: when’s the last time you considered your ability to stop?
I’m not talking about stopping in the middle of your day to take a breath and slow down, as critical as that may be to your mental well-being. I’m talking about stopping your vehicle – the car you rely on to keep yourself and your loved ones safe as you go to the stores, the parties, and all of the other places you need to be as the holidays grow near.
As you gear up for the holiday season, it’s easy to be so preoccupied with thoughts about going that you forget to give stopping the attention it deserves. But as temperatures drop, conditions on the road worsen, and cars crowd the highways as people travel to their holiday destinations, it’s more important than ever to know you can trust your tires to stop when you need them to.
Not being able to stop your car in a hurry when it matters can be, frankly, terrifying. Whether you’re hitting the brakes to avoid running a red light, colliding with a rogue shopping cart, or hitting the vehicle in front of you, it’s important to know your car is well-equipped to handle the situation. And if you’re anything like the average family who makes over 40,000 stops each year in their vehicle at stop signs and red lights, in parking lots and driveways, you’re putting some serious wear and tear on your tires.
Many people think it’s your brakes – not your tires – that you rely on when you need to stop in a pinch. While brakes are indeed a critical component of stopping your car, they won’t be useful if you’re driving on bad tires. If it’s been a few years since you’ve swapped out the tires on your vehicle for something newer, it may be time to look a bit closer and see how much stopping power remains.
Don’t roll into the holiday season not knowing if you can rely on your car’s tires to perform when you need them to. As you dart between the carpool lane and the grocery store, from the mall to the post office, think about how well your tires are stopping for you and consider popping into your local tire shop for an evaluation.
And if it turns out you do need new tires? Purchase a set of MICHELIN tires for trusted, long-lasting performance that’ll help your family stop safely when it matters the most.
Because when it comes down to it, all tires are NOT created equal — and worn tires are even more unequal. Check out my tire testing experience on Michelin’s test track to see exactly what I mean.
Also enter for your chance to win a set of Michelin tires*, just in time for the holidays.
*contest ends on December 5th, 2018.
