Coin Videos

Admittedly, this video does not deal as much with coins as it does with vehicle tires, but it is still worth a couple of minutes of your time to watch.  It is an ABC news segment that shows how the use of some pocket change can lead to a safer vehicle, and perhaps even save your life.  Not bad for 26 cents!

The video starts off showing the same vehicle in three different braking tests using three different sets of tires.  Each set has a different amount of wear to show what kind of handling can occur with worn tires.

The video goes on to start to explain the penny test for tire wear. Used for years, this test uses a penny to test if your tires are worn to a point they need to be replaced. If you put the penny on its edge in the tread of your tire, you should not be able to see all of Lincoln's head.  If you can, the old adage says to replace the tires.

This test is evidently in-advisable now as experts think you should move on to the Quarter Test.

"TireRack, which studies and sell tires, says the penny test is outdated," says the news reporter. "Drivers should use a quarter instead. The quarter gives the measurement of an eight of an inch, instead of a sixteenth (on the penny)."

Resources

• 2009 Quarters
• 2009 Lincoln Cents