Rain Spotting

MANILA, Philippines - Prepping up your car during the rainy season is as simple as picking the right tire.

The rainy season is upon us again, and if the first few days of June are any indication, we’re in for a wet couple of months. Rain is commonly blamed for hundreds of accidents yearly; and as much as we’re all prepared to drive in wet conditions, sometimes not properly preparing your car for foul-weather driving can spell the difference between getting home safe and ending up in the emergency room. Oddly enough, one of the most overlooked safety devices is a car’s tires. As basic as it sounds, some people are guilty of going more for flashy looks (i.e. putting on aggressively treaded tires, ill-fitting low-profile rims) rather than safety and practicality.

Before fitting those water-thin tires in the name of “improving performance”, here’s something to think about: better traction can be achieved with the proper tire pressure. An underinflated tire tends to wear the shoulder areas of the tread faster than the center. This is because there is insufficient air pressure to allow the center of the tread to carry the fair share of the weight. While most drivers recognize that this has a significant impact on tire wear, rolling resistance and durability, only a few realize it also has a noticeable influence on how effectively the tires can resist hydroplaning to maintain wet traction. During periods of wet weather, a tire that’s significantly underinflated will allow the center of the tread to collapse and become very concave, trapping water rather than allowing it to flow through the tread pattern. Always follow the recommended tire pressure on your car’s tire placard or owner’s manual and adjust your tire pressure at least once a month or before a long trip.

In the case of older or balding tires, they can be too worn that even correcting the tire pressure won’t generate enough wet-weather grip. In these cases, it’s best to start shopping for a new set of tires. It’s always advisable to replace all four tires at the same time to lessen the chances of handling problems. Remember, if your tires don’t match, it’s possible that one end of your car won’t respond as quickly or completely as the other, making it more difficult to control. However, if you’re on a budget and two of your tires still have a lot of remaining tread depth, you can replace the worn ones with a pair of tires that is the same or as close as possible to your existing tires. Only consider selecting new tires from the same category (high-performance, touring, passenger car or SUV tires) as your existing ones. And these new tires should be installed on the rear axle.

When shopping for new tires, it’s best to look beyond what tread pattern looks good or what maximum speed it can handle. As a general rule, go for a reputable tire brand that carries a warranty. Read reviews and ask friends about their experiences if you have to. Visually, choose a tire with deep grooves down the middle and a traction rating of at least ‘B’. If you’re using this as a chance to plus size your tires, experts say to opt for a Plus One, for instance going from 15 to 16 inches, to have the maximum traction and handling gain at the least cost. Increasingly larger Plus Two or Plus Three wheels and tires cost exponentially more and offer smaller performance gains over Plus Ones. Additionally, the wider the tire gets, the more likely it is to float – not bite – on wet roads. Pick-up and SUV owners should also take note that fitting larger wheels and rims can make your vehicle much more prone to rollovers since these grippier tires respond much more quickly to steering inputs increasing the risk of a rollover.

If you can afford it or if you’re plus sizing your car’s tires, it’s best to get a set with a directional (sometimes called unidirectional) tread design. Directional tread patterns are frequently used on tires intended to better resist hydroplaning. The multiple tread grooves, arranged in a repeating ‘V’ shape increases the tire’s ability to channel water from between the tire’s footprint and the road. Additionally, directional tread designs are especially helpful in increasing hydroplaning resistance when Plus Two or Plus Three tire and wheel applications result in fitting a much wider tire to a vehicle.

Of course, no matter what tires you choose, driving in the rain is always filled with danger. Remember to drive defensively at all times. Even with the perfect set of tires, there’s no way to undo your car’s inertia. Slower speeds give you a far wider margin of error for anything that arises. Be especially aware of the road around you and keep an eye out for animals, pedestrians and cyclists. Only with the right frame of mind and a properly prepped car can accidents be avoided during this rainy season.