Don't be surprised if the tire pressure light on your car's dashboard lights up often during the cold months.

Steve Mucha, the manager at Discount Tires said it's normal during the cold months.

"The liner in the tire is different. The cold air compresses it, and it leaks out more," said Mucha.

In fact, Mucha said, a drop of 10 degrees outside can cause your tire to lose up to three pounds of air.

The right amount for every vehicle is different. Tire size has nothing to do with it. Drivers can find the correct amount in a sticker barcode inside the driver-side door.

"The proper air pressure in your tire will help reduce accidents because you have better control of your vehicle. If you don't have enough, your car is going to be real loose. If you have too much, it's going to swale out," said Mucha.

El Paso police traffic investigators said most of the time other factors cause accidents, but if the tires don't have the right amount of air, that can contribute to crashes.

The recommendation is to check them once a month. Do so while the tires are still cold when they haven't been used.

Tires should be rotated every 6,000 miles. A good way to see if they need replacing is by inserting a penny in the groove. The groove should cover all of Abraham Lincoln's torso.