There shouldn’t be much need to explain the importance of a spare tire, but just in case, here we go. For clarification’s sake, we aren’t talking about the spare tire that middle-aged men carry around and are oddly proud of for some reason. That’s a blog for a different website all together. No, we are talking about the spare tire that should be in the trunk or under the bed of every car and truck on the road. The spare tire is something you never think about, never check the condition of, and pray you never need to use.

Check for Yours

If you have a newer car, made in the last five years or so, check to see if you have one. Spare tires were once standard equipment on every car and truck to roll off the assembly line. Many new cars don’t have a spare as part of the standard equipment. In fact, about 35 percent of new vehicles don’t come with a factory standard spare tire. Smaller cars like compacts and hybrids are coming without a spare to increase fuel efficiency and save space. The vehicles are small and don’t have any space to store a tire, so companies are eliminating them. Many speculate that the main reason car manufacturers aren’t including them is to reduce their own costs and still charge the same price. Check to see if you have one so you aren’t surprised at a bad time.

Why You Need a Spare

There is a minefield of jagged debris on the average roadway. Any one of those little nails, scraps of metal, or glass can change the course of your day in an instant. Tires are thick and somewhat puncture-resistant to smaller things, but they aren’t puncture-proof; they can still go flat. What will you do if you get a flat tire and are out of distance for a cell phone signal? There is no one coming to help you, and you have no spare tire. Having that spare inflated and in good shape will get you to a repair shop at a minimum and all the way home in most cases. Some vehicles come with a full-size spare that can absorb the same abuse as the other tires. Others come with a “donut,” that little tire that looks goofy on your car. That’s designed as an emergency spare, and to get you someplace to get a new full-size tire. It’s not meant to on past that. When you need a new tire or to repair a flat, RNR Tire Express is the best tire shop in Beaufort, SC. We have everything you need to get your car back on the road.