Tyres are built to last – they have to be. They’re made of vulcanized rubber, which comes from the same root as the word “volcano”. If a tyre is going to survive being scraped against the bitumen over ten times a second – which happens at highway speeds – then it has to be made of some pretty tough stuff.
Unfortunately, everything wears down eventually, and driving on underinflated tyres wears them out – a lot. That’s because the way the tyre deforms, it’s going to get dragged against the road for much longer every time the wheel turns. So if you want your tyres to last longer, you need to make sure that they’re properly inflated. The best way to achieve this is with a tyre pressure monitoring system.
The TPMS measures the air pressure inside your tyres using specialised tyre sensors, and will sound an alarm when it drops too low. That way, you can fix things as soon as possible, rather than waiting until you get a flat tyre. It’s important to realise that it isn’t humanly possible to feel the difference between properly inflated tyres and underinflated tyres, unless the tyres are basically already flat. That’s why you can’t rely on your gut or your experience – you need a monitor to check the pressure and make sure you’re not wearing out your tyres.
With the right equipment, you’ll be able to dramatically extend the lifespan of your tyres. And since tyres are pretty expensive things, and can be frustrating to change, this will save you a lot of time, money and bother. So unless you want to open up an adventure playground, or like making art out of old tyres, you should strongly consider getting a tyre pressure monitor so that your tyres don’t go to waste.