How the cold affects your car and increases odds of a tire blowout

KAYSVILLE – The cold weather can make it tough on your car, impacting its battery, windshield wipers, and tires, which experts said could lead to a serious emergency on the road. They said in the cold weather you're more likely to have one of your tires blow out. You may not know you have a problem. When the ground and air get colder, experts say your tire pressure drops and ups your chances for a blowout. "For every 10 degrees of temperature drop your tire will lose one PSI. Your likeliness of a blowout is substantially higher if you’re not checking your air," Keith Cannon, store manager of Les Schwab Kaysville, said. Cannon said right now people are driving in with tire blowouts every day. "With us here being next to the freeway, I mean, it's a daily occurrence," Cannon said. He said the vast majority of blowouts come from underinflated tires, something the drivers KSL TV talked to noticed and came in to get checked. "My tire light came on. I want to be sure my wife is safe when she goes out on the road," Ted Hodges, a Fruit Heights resident, said. "Oh, we don't want a blowout, otherwise we'd be stuck on the road," Tiane Foketi, a Layton resident, said. To avoid it, experts said the solution is simple – just keep an eye on your tire pressure. "If you haven't had it checked in over a month, it's probably time to get it checked," Cannon said. Drivers said it gives them better peace of mind. "I think it's really important because I don't want to be like, walking on the side of the road," Amy Bates, a Kaysville resident, said. At tire shops like Les Schwab, they told KSL TV they'll let you come in to check your tire pressure and fill it up for free.

Related topics