Are you planning a summer road trip in the near future? Are you just concerned about keeping your vehicle in good condition through an especially brutal heat wave? One area of your vehicle you will want to pay extra attention to during hot weather is your tires. Here are some tips to help keep your tires in excellent condition during hot weather this summer. 

Keep a Close Eye on Tire Pressure

Heat can cause tires to expand just as cold can cause tires to contract. Excess heat for an extended period could affect your tire pressure. When your tires are not at the right pressure, they could sustain additional wear and tear more easily. Driving on tires that are not at the right pressure could also affect the car's handling and potentially pose a safety risk. Keep a close eye on tire pressure when it gets especially hot out. Head to the air pump at the local gas station once per week during a heat wave instead of just going once a month. Alternatively, invest in an air pressure reader you can use at home so you can stay aware of what is going on inside your tires.

Visually Inspect Tires for Signs of Trouble

If your tires already have significant wear and tear, excess heat could cause the tire to deteriorate even further. Visually inspect your tires for potential problems like limited tread or a crack here or there. Get any potential issues patched up or fixed as soon as possible before the heat cause further issues.

Keep Vehicle Weight to a Minimum

When you go on a summer road trip or drive to your family vacation destination, it's common for many families to load up the vehicle with cargo or to tow something behind them. Ideally, you want to keep your cargo or the amount of additional weight you are putting on the tires to a minimum. An overheated tire may be more vulnerable to failure and adding a bunch of weight on top of an existing problem is not going to help.

Go the Speed Limit or Slower

Driving fast generates more heat on the tires. If the roadway is already blazing hot because the temperature outside is like an oven, driving above the speed limit is just going to generate even more heat. This will again cause more wear and tear or increase the chances of a tire breaking down on you completely if it already has an issue. Try to keep your need for speed to a minimum at all times but especially during a heat wave.

Contact a local tire shop to learn more about tires, including Nissan tires.