Hitting the curbIf you're in an area with a particularly tight turn and a lot of traffic, like a fast food drive-thru, you may spot a piece of the curb with some notable gouges and a good coating of rubber. This comes from the long line of drivers that haven't left enough room and have caught said curb on the way around. Maneuvers like parallel parking can also result in tires meeting the curb if a driver isn't careful enough.While grazing a curb at low speed isn't great for a tire, or the rim it's attached to, a one-off incident isn't likely to cause problems. Curbing a vehicle multiple times or meeting the edge of the pavement at high speed is a different story. Some tires are better suited to deal with curbing than others. A fat truck tire has more material to grind through than the low-profile set of boots on a performance car — but it's worth avoiding no matter what you're driving.Curbing a vehicle damages the tire's sidewall, and that's one of the worst things you can do to your rubber. If you run over a nail, your tire may be punctured, which can be easily and cheaply fixed. Sidewall damage is a serious issue, and it's not something that can be repaired. It can lead to a blowout, and if it's more than a mild graze, it will likely result in you purchasing a new tire.Not rotating your tires regularlyTire rotation is a simple concept. The vehicle's wheels are swapped to ensure they wear down as evenly as possible. Even if your wheel alignment and tire pressures are perfect, all four wheels will wear at different rates. If your vehicle is front- or rear-wheel drive, the drive wheels will experience more torque and wear faster than the non-drive wheels. Front wheels are also toed in slightly to make the vehicle more stable. This means they will wear slightly unevenly. A tire rotation ensures any discrepancies are balanced and their impact is minimized — extending the life of your vehicle's tires.Many tire shops rotate your wheels for free when you take your vehicle in for a tire change. Some places also include this service with other routine maintenance like oil changes. However, there are some issues with tire rotation. Tires with directional treads have their benefits, but they mean the tire only works on one side of the car. This limits the mechanic's options when the wheels are being rotated.Some things may prevent you from having your tires rotated. All four tires should have matching treads, too. Otherwise, vehicle control could be affected. This is less of an issue with a vehicle's back tires, so it will get by as long as a vehicle has at least two matching tires. But if only two tires match, tire rotation may not be an option.