If you are driving your vehicle and hit a large pothole, your wheels could get knocked out of alignment. Other things that can cause the wheels on your car to become misaligned include getting into an accident or hitting an object on the road. Sometimes, just normal wear and tear to the wheels can cause them to become misaligned. When your wheels become misaligned, there are many benefits to getting a wheel alignment as soon as possible.

Here are four ways your car benefits from a wheel alignment.

1. Your Car Will Handle Better

You can tell your car needs a wheel alignment when the tires want to veer the car in another direction. Your car might also feel shaky or it handles poorly when you drive it. Not only does it take more work to drive your car when it's like this, but it can also be a hazard on the road. A wheel alignment will greatly improve how your car handles, plus it will make it safer to drive.

2. You Will Extend the Life of Your Tires

Driving your car when the wheels are out of alignment will cause an abnormal amount of tread wear on your tires. When you drive your car with worn tires, it increases the chances of losing air pressure, plus it can result in a dangerous blowout on the road. Increased tread wear also means you will need to replace your tires sooner than you normally would. To extend the life of your tires, you should get a wheel alignment every two to three years. By doing so, you will be driving on your tires for at least 5 years, or up to 75,000 miles, which is how long they should last.

3. Your Car Will Become More Fuel Efficient

Diving on misaligned wheels causes you to use more fuel. In fact, according to some auto experts, driving on misaligned tires can reduce fuel efficiency by up to 10 percent. If fuel costs $2.50, you could save up to 25 cents a gallon just by getting a wheel alignment. Regularly rotating and balancing your tires and replacing them when they have low tread will also help your car become more fuel-efficient.

4. Your Car's Other Parts Will Work Properly

Misaligned wheels don't just cause problems for your tires, they also cause problems for other parts of your car, such as your brakes and your entire suspension system. A wheel alignment will ensure these parts of your vehicle will work as they should.