We should always keep a spare tire whenever we use our vehicle and go somewhere else. However, we may be lucky enough to not suffer from the disadvantage and hard work of replacing our car tires along the road. For a long time, we may have that spare tire kept and idle.
If in case you suddenly broke that tire of yours and you realized that the tire you have as spare has been sleeping for so many years now, think twice first and examine your tire if it could still be used and give you a safe ride. After so many ears of being idle, your tire may have lost its elasticity that could cause accidents along the road. Some hidden defects may have been caused by the long time it has been kept in your compartment. It may be rotten inside and if used, could cause the driver to lose his control while driving especially when driving at high speeds.
Tires are made of polymeric materials that may degrade after a certain period of time. To check when the car was manufactured, look at the last four digits of the embossed series of number on the outer or side wall of your tires that indicates the week and year it was made such as 2406 which implies that your tire is manufactured on the 24th week of 2006. According to vehicle safety experts, tires could be reliable until it reaches its 6th year and tires that are more than six years of age could cause tire failures.
Another important to consider is to check your manual. A certain portion should be allotted there for your car tires safety precautions. You may also request for a maintenance assistant to kindly check your spare tire as well even just every 6 months to determine whether you have to get yourself another spare tire. If you¢re stranded on the highway, check the appearance of your spare tire, use it temporarily until you get your destination and visit and auto shop to verify if your old spare tire is still in good shape.