Do you know if your car is equipped with a spare wheel? You might want to familiarize yourself with the emergency instructions for your vehicle, especially if it does not have a spare wheel! AAA has published a list of cars that don't carry an emergency spare tire (aka "donut"). Instead, they carry a compressor containing tire leak "slime" in the compressor, or in a separate can.

There is more useful information on your tires than you realize. Aside from the brand, model and size of the tire there are also U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and safety standard markings. These indicate that the tire meets the safety requirements as determined by the DOT. Near these markings, there is also the Uniform Tire Quality Grading (UTQG) code as well as load, speed and maximum inflation pressure specifications, just to name a few. Let’s take a closer look.