Content

• To step
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

There is an easy and free way to check the profile of your tires. Just with a dollar cent coin you can quickly determine whether or not you should buy new tires.

To step

1. Take a shiny coin. You can read it more easily when taking the test. Very dark coins or dollar cents that don't show Abraham Lincoln's face don't work nearly as well as a new coin.
2. Hold the coin between your thumb and your index finger. Hold the coin by Lincoln's body; do not hold the coin so that you cover his head.
3. Pick a point in your tire profile that appears to be low. Insert the coin into the grooves of the profile, with Lincoln's head down.
4. Look at the coin. If any part of Lincoln's head is covered by the tread, your tires are fine. Otherwise your tread will be too shallow and your tires will need to be replaced.
5. Check more than one groove. Repeat the coin test around the belt approximately every 40 cm. Check the middle grooves, and those on the inside and outside. This way you can find out if your tire is showing uneven wear.
6. Check every tire. Tires don't wear evenly, so be sure to check the tread on each tire to determine if the tread thickness is safe for each tire.

Tips

• Tread depth is essential for tire safety, but you can make your tires last longer if you treat them with care. Keep your tires properly inflated, and change them according to the manufacturer's guidelines (usually about every 8,000 miles) so that the tread wears evenly.
• Don't forget to check your spare tire too.

Warnings

• In the Netherlands, the tire profile may not be less than 1.6 mm, which is the distance from the end of Lincoln's head to the edge of the coin.
• Remember that even if your tires pass this test, you should still buy new tires before the depth of 1.6mm is reached. Shallow tread tires make aquaplaning on rainy roads more likely and have a very negative impact on snow grip.

Necessities

• Coin of one dollar cent