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My Diatribe on Saving Lives
By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA
[Editor-in-Chief]
Even though the price of crude oil, and hence gasoline is down of late, we’ve had an excellent response from doctor readers regarding our recent ME-Ps on automobiles, car insurance, driving costs, and fuel efficiency, etc. So, while not a forum for auto enthusiasts – it is Memorial Day weekend after all – I’ll try to give our readers what they want with this personal essay.
Tires
Regardless of how well you care for your tires, the time will come when you must replace them. Safety as well as convenience is at stake. You don’t want a flat tire, but driving with worn tires also makes your car more difficult to control, especially in bad weather. Although many doctors get so busy they forget to check their tires, others do not know how to tell when they need to replace their tires. The following pointers will help you learn how:
Tread Depth
As tires roll over highways, the friction between them and the road wear down their treads. When tires have inadequate tread depth, they will not grip the road well and can lead to unsafe driving conditions, especially in the rain. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says the minimum safe depth of a tread is 1/32 of an inch. You may not have a ruler handy to measure your tread, but a simple technique makes checking your treads easy.
Take a penny and insert it into the tread groove with Lincoln’s head pointed downward toward the center of the wheel, facing outward. If you can see Lincoln’s forehead, the tire still has useful life. If you can see Lincoln’s hair on top of his head, you will soon need a replacement. Finally, if you can see the top of Lincoln’s head or the empty space above it, you should replace the tire as soon as possible.
Tire Inflation
Wear Indicators
In the United States, tires have wear bars that provide a visual signal when they need replacement. Wear bars are shorter than healthy treads, so they are not noticeable to most drivers. When treads wear, the wear bars become visible and look like bridges across the tread grooves. When this happens, you need to buy new tires. Some doctors have trouble identifying wear bars at first, so if you can’t see them on your tires, ask a service technician or your local mechanic to show you.
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Age
Tires lose their integrity with age. Heat, sunlight, chemicals from the road, and gases from the air cause tires to corrode and oxidize, making them unsafe for use. This problem can especially affect spare tires which often sit in trunks unnoticed and unused for prolonged periods. Develop a replacement plan for any cars you own that get little use and for your spare tires. Tires wear at different rates depending on how often the car is driven and how many miles are put on it each year, so there is no exact time frame for tire replacement.
Other Signs of Wear
Not all tires wear evenly, so all medical professionals should periodically inspect every part of their tires. Look for uneven wear and flat spots on the edge of the tread. Replace tires that bulge on the sides. Visible wires signal that a tire has gone too far. The wires you see come from the metal belts that strengthen tires; manufacturers do not intend for this part of a tire to contact the road.
To avoid problems with your tires, inspect them regularly or have your mechanic or dealership inspect them anytime you go in for service or an appointment. Try adding a reminder to your task list, calendar, or schedule to make sure your tires never leave you stranded or put you or your car in danger.
My Tires
My own luxury weekend “fun” vehicle is a vintage European, pearl white, touring Jaguar XJ -V8- LWB. I love the control, precision and feel of my high-performance Pirelli P6 tires. It’s how I roll.
GOMER [Get Out of My Emergency Room]
I covered the emergency room for more than a decade; auto accidents due to poor tire tread are endemic especially at night and in the rain. So, please check your tires, and replace them if needed; today. We want our ME-P readership to grow. The life you save may be your own.
Assessment
This ME-P is a follow-up, by reader request, of a prior popular essay of mine. How Smart Doctors Can Save Big at the Pump I appreciate your interest.
More photos: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dems-jaguar.pdf
Conclusion
Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.
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Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com
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Filed under: Funding Basics, Risk Management, Touring with Marcinko | Tagged: auto tire safety, Doctors - Please Get New Automobile Tires, Dr. Marcinko, Jaguar XJ-8, National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, NHTSA, tire treads |
The Leading Business Education Network for Doctors, Financial Advisors and Health Industry Consultants 
Dr. Marcinko,
We all appreciate your article; especially this busy holiday weekend.
Interstate Highway Officer George
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Jaguars not that Expensive to Own
Dr. Marcinko – I’ve always owned jaguar automobiles. They are not that expensive to maintain if you use a little common sense, and read all about them on the blogs to learn as much as possible about repairs and avoid being ripped off.
So, from least to most expensive, here are the 10 Most Expensive Cars to Own according to 24/7 Wall Street:
10. Nissan GT-R
9. Land Rover Range Rover
8. BMW ActiveHybrid 7
7. Mercedes-Benz G-Class
6. Lexus LS 600h L
5. Mercedes-Benz SL-Class
4. Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
3. BMW 7 Series Alpina B7
2. Audi R8
1. Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
Not a single Jag listed.
Julius
[The Jaguar lover]
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Why gas prices remain high [video]
Gas prices have remained stubbornly high despite more supply and less demand.
http://finances.msn.com/saving-money-ideas/8e610796-2170-405e-ada5-2fd3d53a0710
Here are 14 video tips to reduce your cost.
Oloff
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Tawny Kitaen in White Snakes’ Here I Go Again – YouTube
JAGUAR: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoOIl69KRU4&feature=player_embedded
Niles
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On Tire Rotation
Most manufacturers recommend that you rotate your tires every 6,000-15,000 miles. That’s a pretty big range, isn’t it? Insert ubiquitous “check your owner’s manual” advice. How you drive and what kind of car you drive can make a difference. For the average driver of the average car, the average (sensing a trend here?) would be about every 10,000 miles.
Tires wear unevenly and this can affect the life of the tire and your car’s handling. Your front tires wear differently and more quickly than your rear tires. Your front wheels do all of the turning and that adds pressure and wear. If your car is front wheel drive, that makes your front tires wear even faster.
The most common rotation pattern is the cross-x where the front right tire is moved to the rear left, etc. But, if you have directional tires (tires manufactured to spin in a certain direction) you can’t use the cross-x. In that case, you’d just move the right front to the right back and the left front to the left back, keeping them on the same side of the car so they can rotate as they’re supposed to.
Some four-wheel drive cars need their tires rotated frequently to keep the wear even. Whatever type of car you drive, rotating your tires regularly can extend their life and save you from dropping dollars to get new ones.
Geoff
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Winter and Tires
Dr. Marcinko – The winter is a great time to take a closer look at your tires, as they see some of the heaviest wear on your vehicle. In addition, the lower temperatures can have surprising effects on your tires’ condition.
For instance, the drop in air temperature inside your tires during the winter lowers the air pressure, but driving will warm the air and raise the pressure again. This makes it harder to keep your tire pressure in the recommended range. The solution? Check the pressure more often, and try to adjust the pressure during colder periods to account for the drop.
Winter snow tires can still offer traction benefits even if you have all-wheel drive. AWD can distribute torque to provide traction where it’s most needed, but this can backfire on icy surfaces. In contrast, winter snow tires are designed to provide more grip on treacherous surfaces. This can drastically decrease the distance needed to stop.
In addition, did you know that you should replace your tires earlier if you are expecting to experience wet or wintry conditions? While the minimum legal limit for tread depth is 2/32”, experts recommend replacing tires when they reach 4/32” or even 6/32”. This is especially true if you are heading for heavy snow-covered roads during your holiday road trip.
Finally, if you should start sliding on an icy surface this winter. There are two important things to remember: first, release the brakes, and then turn your wheels in the direction that the rear of your vehicle is sliding.
Trust this is helpful info to the ME-P.
Julius
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Jag Tire Warning
I had to order a new set of front tires at 11-K miles.
Like the Tesla; the Jaguar apparently has the camber set for cornering so the inside tread wears far faster than the outside. So, check your inside tread or you could have a blow out. I took mine in for an early oil change otherwise would have missed this.
Also, be aware thee dealers want to do this earlier than necessary. In my case they were right about the fronts but the rears have a lot of life left yet they wanted to replace all 4. I’m switching from Pirelli to Michelin, never been a fan of Pirelli.
Sebastian
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Tire software tells you when tread has worn out
Continental develops technology that uses tire-pressure-monitoring system to indicate low tread depth.
http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/post–tire-software-tells-you-when-tread-has-worn-out
What will they think of next?
Edgar
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More on The Importance of Keeping Your Car’s Tires Aligned, Balanced, and Rotated
One major cause of accidents, and financial distress, is not maintaining your vehicle properly. When it comes to driving, your vehicle’s tires are one of the most important parts to maintain. If you are looking to save money and increase your car’s safety, then you should consider regular tire balancing and rotation as well as alignment checkups.
Here is why?
One of the biggest reasons that you should make sure your vehicle’s tires are aligned is safety. Misaligned tires can cause a number of problems including pulling to one side, less control over your vehicle, and an increased rate of wear on your tires’ tread. Not only is this dangerous, but you will have to replace your tires much more frequently if the alignment is off, which will put a big hole in your wallet. Another thing to consider is that misaligned tires will negatively affect your vehicle’s fuel economy.
Balancing and rotating your vehicle’s tires is also very important. Think about everything your tires encounter on a day-to-day basis. Whether it is potholes, sticks, or rocks, your tires go through a beating every day. Sometimes, certain tires will wear more than others, creating an imbalance in your vehicle. The result is often a slight shaking of the car, which will get worse with speed.
Even the slightest imbalance can cause big problems, which is why it is important to take your car into the shop and have its tires balanced every so often. Together with regular tire rotation, the result is that no one tire will be worn to an exaggerated amount, and wear will occur more evenly on all four tires.
Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA
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My tires,
The Michelin Pilot Super Sports are the best tire I have ever had on any car. The grip is tremendous but it does not sacrifice ride comfort at all.
And, I have them on both my XKR and Super V8.
Gus
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