Highway driving can be inviting. Long stretches with wide-open spaces complete with natural beauty and reduced traffic: What’s not to like?

But most people deal with a different driving reality. Dodging potholes and erratic drivers on the way to work and school, city driving is closer to a daily obstacle course than the tranquil invitation of the open road.

It’s easy to see how each could affect your day, but what’s the difference to your tyres?

CITY DRIVING & TYRE WEAR

The chaos of city driving – hitting a pothole too fast, slamming on the brakes to avoid accidents – wears on your vehicle’s tyres. Every time you brake hard or maneuver suddenly, the road scuffs away a fine layer of rubber from your tyre tread. Do that over and over – like during a daily commute through cross-town traffic – and your tyres will wear more quickly.

HIGHWAY & TYRE WEAR

By comparison, expressway kilometres are easier on your tyres. Despite traveling longer distances, highways are often better maintained. That allows for driving at sustained speeds for extended distances. Even though longer highway trips put kilometres on your tyres, it’s not the same “mileage” impact as city driving.

LONGER LIFE FOR YOUR TYRES

So, what can you do to help your tyres last longer?

• Give yourself room (and time) to react. Extend the gap between you and the cars around you. Allowing additional distance for steering and control, reduces the wear from the forces of the road on your tyres.
• Slow down. Aggressive cornering and high-speed braking might cause your adrenaline to pump, but it really does a number on your tyres. The higher your speed, the harder it is for your tyres to remain in contact with the road.

How you drive affects tread wear just as much as where you drive. If you drive aggressively, you can burn through the rubber of your tyres no matter where you travel.

Most people experience some combination of city and highway driving in their daily commute. Adjust some of your driving habits and see for yourself how much longer your tyres will last.