You’ve mapped the route, booked the stays, and are ready for a long spring drive after a rough winter. Before heading out, it’s worth checking that tyre choices, wheel alignment and the car’s safety tech are all working in the same direction. ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) are the electronic safety helpers like lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking. They use cameras, radar and other sensors to monitor traffic and lane markings, then warn you or even brake or steer if you do not react quickly enough.

Tyre swaps after winter

If you run winter tyres, the usual rule of thumb for swapping back is when daytime temperatures stay consistently above about 45°F (around 7°C). Winter rubber stays soft in the cold but feels vague and wears quickly in warmer weather, and it can add several feet to your stopping distance on a dry, warm highway.

For most cars, a seasonal changeover with mounting and balancing comes in around $80–$150 for four tyres in many shops. Use the swap as a moment to check tread depth (aim for at least 4/32 inch for long highway trips, not just the legal minimum) and age; tyres older than about 6–8 years, even with decent tread, harden and lose grip, especially in wet emergency manoeuvres.

Why alignment matters

Winter leaves behind potholes, curb scrapes and speed-bump hits that can knock your wheels out of alignment. Alignment is simply the precise angles at which the wheels point and lean relative to the car and the road; if those angles are off, the tyres scrub instead of rolling freely.

Common signs include the steering wheel sitting off-centre, the car drifting to one side on a straight road, or feathered wear on the inner or outer edge of the tread. Left alone, mild misalignment can chew through a set of tyres thousands of miles early and nudge fuel use up by a few percent, which adds up quickly on a long trip.

A basic four-wheel alignment typically falls in the $90–$180 range depending on vehicle and shop. Vehicles with adjustable rear suspension or modified ride heights can cost more, but the spend is usually cheaper than replacing a prematurely worn set of tyres that can easily run $500–$900 or more.

ADAS calibration on trips

The same bumps and repairs that affect alignment can also disturb ADAS sensors and cameras. Many systems rely on the car tracking perfectly straight and “knowing” its exact position in the lane; even small deviations alter how the software reads road markings and distances.

Any time you replace a windscreen, front bumper cover, grille, or even some badges, there is a good chance the forward-facing camera or radar needs recalibration. Larger alignment changes, suspension work, or changing tyre sizes can also trigger a manufacturer recommendation to recalibrate so that lane-keeping and automatic braking react at the correct distance and angle.

Calibration usually requires a workshop with special targets, measuring gear and software, and can run from around $200 to $500+ depending on the vehicle and how many sensors are involved. Skipping it might leave you with warning lights, but more worrying is a “quiet failure” where the system appears normal yet reacts late or not at all in an emergency.

Checklist

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Swap winter tyres once temps stay above ~45°F and check tread depth and tyre age.

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Inspect for uneven wear or a steering pull; book an alignment if anything feels off.

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Ask the shop if your alignment or suspension work requires ADAS recalibration.

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After any windscreen or front bumper repair, confirm that cameras and radars were recalibrated.

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Test-drive: verify lane-keeping, cruise and brake assist behave predictably on a clear, straight road.

Planning this work a week or two before your spring roadtrip gives time to sort any surprises and avoids last-minute stress. A car that rolls straight, wears its tyres evenly and has correctly calibrated driver aids makes those long spring miles calmer, cheaper and a lot safer.