With all the wear and tear on your tires driving around New Jersey, inevitably, you'll need to purchase new ones at some point.

When shopping around for new tires, you may notice some have red and yellow dots on them.

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But, why? What do those dots mean?

In a recent article on MSN, they explained why there are certain markings on new tires.

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The dots help identify any irregularities when installing. Correct alignment of these markers can prevent tire imbalance and extend the lifespan of your tires.

Red and Yellow Dots On Tire
Michele Pilenza / Townsquare Media
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Why Do Some Tires In New Jersey Have Red And Yellow Dots On Them?

  • The yellow dots "identify where a tire weighs the least - the lightest point on a tire. The yellow dot should be lined up and directly next to the valve stem, which is the wheel’s heaviest point."
Yellow Dot on Tire
Michele Pilenza / Townsquare Media
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  • The red dots "identify where the tire is flattest - the lowest point on a tire. The red dot should be directly across from the highest point of the wheel, which is usually indicated by a colored dot or a notch on the wheel."
Red Dot on Tire
Michele Pilenza / Townsquare Media
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You don't want an unbalanced tire to cause the car to vibrate while you're driving.

It can also shorten the life of a tire or the tire can develop bald spots, according to the article.

That's why it's so important to make sure they're balanced and running smoothly.

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash
Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash
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Now that your tires are all set and you're ready to hit the road, it's time to fill up.

Think back to when you first started driving and check out the cost of gas.

How much was gas the year you started driving?

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli

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