CHP is reminding motorists of this strange trick to prevent car accidents: Jalopnik

Finances are under strain for many of us right now, and the last thing anyone with financial problems wants is to incur large, unexpected expenses, such as damage sustained in a car accident. Crashes hurt more than just your wallet; they can also lead to further costs, such as medical bills and increases in insurance costs. California Highway Patrol shared on its Instagram account a strange way to reduce the chance of a car accident: make sure your tires are still running.

Drivers can often get away with bald tires in the summer, although it is undeniably stupid to do so, and perhaps we Southern Californians are not particularly accustomed to driving in bad weather conditions, but your tires still need tread to keep you safe, especially when the roads are wet. It’s a lesson that the Infiniti driver in CHP’s Instagram post unfortunately had to learn the hard way, as their tires basically looked like racing slicks.

It’s winter – you know, the time of year when the weather regularly brings various forms of precipitation in most regions of the Northern Hemisphere? Well, that precipitation tends to make the ground slippery.

Here’s a little anecdote for you. My father recently slipped and fell down some wet concrete steps, and the culprit was his old, worn-out rubber slippers whose soles no longer had tread. Wet roads are just as slippery and your car needs tread on the tires to prevent slipping and sliding. Fortunately, my father’s fall incurred no costs other than the cost of lidocaine lotion, but when a car slips or slides on a wet road, the consequences can be devastating, both physically and financially.

I get it, money is tight, but if you think you’ll save money by driving on bald tires or avoiding winter tires in colder climates, you may end up paying for expensive repairs or buying a whole new car. We’ve discussed before how to determine if you need new tires, but sometimes a little public shaming helps drive the point home. Make sure your shoes have enough tread and make sure your car’s tires do too.