Because I do a lot of the maintenance on my own vehicles, I have many acquaintances who ask me car advice, and I always tell people to buy the best tires they can afford, as it's those 4 tires and wheels that are all that's holding your car to the ground. I have recently moved cross-country, but the previous city I lived in it was incredibly commonplace to see vehicles on the highway doing 80+ MPH with horribly visibly bald tires, or in some cases people rolling on 4 spares (which are only certified to 55MPH).

The average driver in the US has a very flippant attitude towards maintenance and towards tires in particularly. Yet, tires are one of the most important if not most important safety items on your vehicle.