One of the most important things you should be doing for your vehicle, besides of course filling up the tank and making sure everything is in good working order, is checking on your tires once a week or so. Yeah, seriously. All you need is a pair of eyes, a penny, and a tire pressure gauge. Check it out.

To check your tire pressure, you’ll need the gauge. If you don’t own one already, you can buy one inexpensively at pretty much any auto parts store. In order to check your pressure, all you need to do is take off the cap from the valve stem, fit the gauge on, and it’ll tell you what your pressure is.

How do you know what the pressure should be? There will be a sticker on the inside of your driver’s door jamb, or the information will be in your owner’s manual or on the tires themselves. It’s easy information to find, and you should remember it if you can.

You should also be checking the tread of your tires! This is what the penny is for. Stick the penny into the tread with Lincoln’s head pointing to the center of your tire. If you can see the top of his head, you know it’s time to get new tires.

Your tires should last you for at least five years, but their life can be shortened by some important, and avoidable, factors:

• Low tire pressure

• Overinflated tires

• Aggressive driving

• Improper alignment

Make sure your tires are always inflated, and have your tires checked and rotated at every oil change. Ask about your alignment at every service and have your vehicle aligned whenever you’re at the shop (if you need it, that is). Taking care of your tires is taking care of your vehicle!