EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Low tire pressure, worn tread, and popped tires are just some of the issues La Mesa Tire shop – located on Alameda – encountered on Thursday as freezing temperatures turned the Sun City to ice.

El Pasoan Veatura Zunigia says he popped two tires Thursday morning.

“The snow was covering the holes and I couldn’t see and unfortunately I was in a little accident,” said Veatura Zunigia.

Saying when he came into the tire shop he learned all of his tires were low on tread and he ended up getting four new tires to be safe.

Another El Pasoan Manny Cruz says he came to get new tires after driving in the snow Wednesday night.

“Last night when I was driving, I slipped, so that’s why just to prevent an accident or something,” said Cruz.

Employees at La Mesa tire say the two main issues they saw on Thursday were run-down tread and low tire pressure.

 “For every 10 degrees that it drops a tire loses one pound of air pressure,” said Nayzleth Salzar an employee at La Mesa tire on Alemeda.

“We’ve had many people come in, check their tire pressure make sure their tires are still good for the weather and if they need any new tires we recommend what type of tires for this weather,” said Salazar.

Adding that low tire pressure can cause bad traction on icy roads and you can find your tire pressure guide on the door of your car or in the owner’s manual.

Another employee Jose Carrillo explained that you can check to see if the tread on your tires is good on your own.

“You can check the tire with a quarter,” said Carillo.

Carillo demonstrates that if you turn a quarter upside down and put it on the tire if the top of George Washington’s head is mostly covered then you are good for driving in most conditions.

La Mesa Tires sharing a checklist to do before hitting the roadways.

  • Inspect tires look to see if they are worn or damaged
  • Tire Pressure Check
  • Have tires rotated every three months
  • Check tire type to see if they are adequate for the weather

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