The Truth About Worn Tires

Let me tell you a personal story.

A couple of years ago we drove to Virginia from Rhode Island with our entire family. We began to notice that are Suburban was driving a little off. I can’t exactly explain, but the tires didn’t feel like they were giving us enough traction. It was such an odd feeling that my husband (thankfully) pulled off the road and found a Pep Boys and asked if they could take a look at the tires. Within 15 minutes the technician came and told my husband that we needed new tires. He brought my husband back and showed him exactly what was going on. Our tires were completely worn and us driving on them was a big danger. I can’t thank that man enough because my family is my life and I can only imagine what could have happened if we hadn’t stopped.

I hate to admit it, but worn tires is not something I think about. I put my husband on “car duty” and it’s something that I’ve just always done. Even growing up – my father took over the car duty. When the car needed an oil change, repairs, new tires – even gas! And so… I’m going to admit it, I have had my husband take on that roll, too.

A few weeks ago I traveled to Greenville, SC o a press trip that Michelin invited me to. I have to tell you, I was very excited about the trip because after having this personal experience, I was very intrigued and interested to hear about tires and truly the “truth about worn tires.” It’s just not something that many of my mom friends think about, and I had that confirmed after I returned home and started asking around.

So what did I learn while I was away?

Most drivers today base their tire purchase decisions on factors like cost and mileage warranty. If they do any research on performance, the majority of reviews and ratings available focus on how new tires perform. That’s a problem.

And truly… you NEED to make sure you’re getting the RIGHT tires. If there was one thing I learned as the best takeaway, brakes stop the wheels, but tires stop the car. Your TIRES STOP THE CAR. This is safety at the core and really needs to be taken seriously.

I had the opportunity to test out Michelin tires – new and worn – and see them up against competing brands new and old. Let me say this one thing as clear as can be… Michelin tires (new and worn) outweighed the other brands. I couldn’t believe it. I literally couldn’t believe it. I’m not a car girl, so for me to feel the difference was pretty incredible. I could actually see and feel the difference in the cars that I was testing and it was as clear as can be to me.

Here was my experience…

Talk about the most interesting and coolest way to educate someone up close and personal about worn tires. A HUGE thank you to @MichelinUSA for having me out to Greenville, SC for the last 2 days. I had a really wonderful time learning about the importance of tire safety and the #truthaboutworntires I had the unique opportunity to head on Michelin’s test tracks and see firsthand how tires drive when they’re worn. I was amazed to see that Michelin worn tires drive just as good as different brands' new tires. It was an eye opener. . When you stop and think about your family’s safety – do you think about tires? I have to be honest, I never did. I always made sure we had the safest carseat and stroller and baby monitor. The safest helmet for baseball. The safest car for our family. The list goes on and on for me, but when it came to tire safety, I didn’t think much about it. . Never again. This was a HUGE takeaway for me from Michelin – Your brakes stop the wheels, but the tires stop the car. . I’m happy to share this video with you from my time with Michelin at their test tracks. I’ll be sharing with you what YOU can do to make sure you’re staying on top of the safety of your tires, too. This is something I’m going to be very proactive about with everyone in my life and sharing this on my blog and on social. Our family’s safety is the most important thing, so it’s essential to make sure we’re educated on what we need to know to make sure safety is always top of mind and in place. . THANK YOU @MichelinUSA for this eye-opening experience. . #AD

A post shared by Audrey McClelland (@audreymcclellan) on Apr 28, 2018 at 9:05am PDT

Pretty amazing, right?

I love how Michelin is taking the time to raise awareness and make sure consumers know what to look for and most important, what to ASK for when looking for new tires and at their current tires.

A GIGANTIC thank you to Michelin! I learned so much!

Disclosure: This was a sponsored press trip.