Your concern over tires should never wear out

Along with a trained and attentive driver, the most important safety feature on your vehicle is your tires. Even so, many people drive on worn or underinflated tires, endangering themselves and others on the road.

A well-maintained tire, especially a season-specific one, will vastly improve your car's handling and braking ability, as well as its fuel efficiency. It's only when tires lose their grip do safety features such as anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control and airbags start doing their job to protect you.

The Rubber Association of Canada estimates that Canadians waste almost 643 million litres of fuel each year simply because their tires aren't properly inflated. Having too little air in your tires increases their rolling resistance, requiring more fuel. Too much air, and they wear unevenly and ride harshly. You'll get the best performance by checking tire pressure once a month.

Tire gauges are sold in department store auto sections or auto-parts shops. Inexpensive ones are fine, and it doesn't matter if you get the "stick" type or one with a dial. To find the recommended pressure, check your owner's manual or the placard inside the door jamb. Don't go by the number on the tire – that just indicates the maximum it will hold. And simply looking at it to determine if it's low doesn't work, either.

Check when the car's been sitting for a few hours, or driven no more than a couple of kilometres. Unscrew the little cap on the valve stem, and then press the gauge firmly onto the stem. It takes a bit of practice, and you'll probably let out some of the air before you get the hang of it. Then read the number on the stick or dial. If it's too low, add some air, pressing the air hose onto the valve the same way as when you checked it. If it's too high, press on the little stem inside the tire valve with the tip of the gauge to release air. Screw the valve cap back on and check the others, including the spare.

Even if your car has a tire-pressure monitoring system, you should still check. The warning lights only come on when the tire is down by 25 per cent to 35 per cent of its recommended pressure, depending on the system.

Worn tread is dangerous: the tire loses its grip, especially on slippery roads. Look for the "wear bars," which are little rubber bars that run across the tread. On a new tire, they're tucked in deep and can be hard to find, but if they're close to the top of the tread, the tire needs replacement. You can also use a penny as a handy tread depth gauge.

Tuck it into the tread with the top of the Queen's head facing down. If any part above her eyes is visible, your tires are worn enough to compromise handling. If you can see her crown, they're unsafe.

Winter tires aren't just for snow: their tread stays pliable in low temperatures, helping them grip better on cold, dry roads. They're far superior to all-season tires, which also have to stay sufficiently firm in summer heat.

Should you not have room to stash a second set, see if your tire shop will store them.

If you're convinced you need all-wheel drive to handle the weather, try a good set of winter tires first. They can make all the difference in the world.