It is necessary in this day and age for professional truck drivers to take their own safety and the safety of other road users into their own hands by carrying out a pre-trip inspection before they begin driving. This is absolutely essential in prevent avoidable accidents from occurring, according to an 18-wheeler accident attorney based in Texas (https://www.texas-truckaccidentlawyer.com/).
Central to this is to ensure that the tires on the tractor and trailer of the truck are correctly inflated. This will not only prevent potential accidents from occurring, but will also help with improved fuel efficiency.
By taking the time to properly inflate your tires, this will maximize and increase the life of your tires, which will in turn save you money in buying new tires. Properly inflated tires will also reduce the likelihood of tire failure from taking place, which in turn reduces the chances of accidents.
To check the tire properly, it is important to follow up your initial look at the tire by using a properly calibrated air pressure gauge. This will ensure that the pressure of the tire is correctly set for each tire.
While the pressure of the tire is important, there are other things to look for too. It is important that you check if there are any areas of damage to the tread of the tire, as well as the sidewall of the tire.
If you find that your tires are underinflated, this means that the tires themselves are unable to maintain their proper shape. If measures are not taken to properly inflate the tire, this means they will become flatter as you drive and will have less contact with the road. A recent piece of research identified that if a tire is just six psi under-inflated, this can lead to tire failure and potentially cause an accident.
Be Wary Of Overinflating Your Tires
If you overinflate your tires, the tires will be overly hard and stiff and this could cause dangers too. This will mean the tire will have less contact with the road. If you were to drive over debris on the road with overinflated tires, it means the tires may become more easily damaged.
If you are ever involved in an accident with your lorry, make sure you contact the best Houston 18-wheeler accident lawyer in Greg Baumgartner.