National Tire Safety Week reports increased industry and consumer participation over preceding years

A preliminary review of this year’s April 20-26 National Tire Safety Week reveals that industry participation is on an upswing.

For the 2008 event, the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) distributed 19,000 retailer promotional kits to tire dealers, repair shops, car dealerships and other auto-related merchants; some 4 million consumer-oriented brochures were also made available, according to Dan Zielinski, RMA vice president of public affairs.

In 2007, 18,500 tire-related operations took part in National Tire Safety Week, topping the 15,000 businesses that took part in 2006.

This year, 25 states issued proclamations or statements supporting the program. “We are grateful to states that are helping to educate motorists to take just five minutes every month to check their tires,” Zielinski say.

States issuing a proclamation or statement supporting National Tire Safety Week are
Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

“We had a number of folks with tire pressure check lanes,” Zielinski reports, adding that more details of the 2008 endeavor will be compiled after participants submit this year’s annual post-event survey forms to the RMA.

If past results are any indication, the event “brings in customers and helps with community relations and business development,” he notes. Responses to past surveys show that that more than half of the retailers that advertised reported a positive effect on customer and community relations. Twenty-five percent of those returning surveys said participation in National Tire Safety Week did indeed help to increase sales and attract new customers.

“It’s been going great,” says Jason Deiss, assistant manager at the Discount Tire outlet on North Division Street in Spokane, Wash. By Wednesday afternoon of the week, they had given away more than 20 tire safety kits provided by the chain.

Discount Tire – known in some markets as America’s Tire – distributed kits to each of its nearly 700 nationwide facilities. The package included a tire air pressure gauge, tread depth gauge and a RMA “Be Tire Smart” brochure with easy-to-follow tire maintenance tips and a safety checklist for routine monthly tire inspections. The company also provides free air pressure and tread depth checks by its tire technicians at each of the stores.

Additionally, the operation offered the support of NASCAR Busch Series driver David Ragan, who pilots the No. 6 Discount Tire Ford Fusion in cooperation with Roush Fenway Racing. Ragan is featured in a national RMA radio public service announcement discussing the importance of maintaining proper vehicle tire inflation pressure.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) this year joined with the RMA as the agency seeks to emphasize the impact of the issue within the Golden State.

“There is a real need to educate drivers about tire maintenance in order to increase vehicle safety and tire performance, as well as to extend the life of the tires and save money on gas,” explains Margo Reid Brown, CIWMB chair. “California currently generates 42 million scrap tires annually which have significant impacts on our environment.”

In Northern California, Les Schwab Tires Centers partnered with the CIWMB and RMA to advertise free tire safety checks to all drivers during the entire month of April.

During a National Tire Safety Week event at the Chevron service station on Geary Boulevard in San Francisco, motorists at received “report cards” on their tire air pressure and tread depth. Specialists from the American Automobile Association of Northern California demonstrated how easy it is for consumers to check their tire pressure.

In previous research by the CIWMB, California drivers indicated awareness of the need to check tire pressure, yet fewer than half reported checking their tire inflation regularly, citing a lack of time to do so. Last week’s event showed drivers how they can spend just three to five minutes checking tire air pressure during a routine stop for gas, ensuring vehicle safety and better fuel economy.

According to the California Air Resources Board (CARB), tires lose one PSI of tire pressure per month, which eventually decreases vehicle fuel efficiency by more than one-third.

With an estimated 74 percent of vehicles having at least one under-inflated tire, and 27 percent having at least one tire averaging 6.8 PSI below recommended proper tire pressure levels, the loss of fuel efficiency is enormous. It is estimated that Californians would save 47.9 million gallons of fuel annually if tires were properly inflated, Brown says.

“Maximizing tire performance and safety depends on regular maintenance,” Zielinski adds. “By checking tire pressure monthly during a stop for gas – or other routine maintenance – drivers can greatly impact tire life, gas mileage and passenger safety.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), low tire pressure-related crashes are to blame for 660 fatalities and 33,000 injuries every year.

The RMA wants the industry to continue publicizing its list of critical maintenance tips, including:
• Measure tire pressure monthly using a good quality tire gauge. A visual inspection is not sufficient to detect under- or over-inflated tire problems.
• Have tires aligned regularly and check owner’s manual for specific recommendations. A pulling or vibration sensation means that alignment should be checked sooner.
• Rotate tires regularly, usually every 5,000-8,000 miles.
• Monitor tread wear and replace tires when tire tread is worn down to 1/16 of an inch. Proper tire tread prevents skidding and hydroplaning.
• Tires should be balanced periodically or when drivers feel a vibration.
• Conduct a visual check for embedded stones, glass and other foreign objects that could work their way into the tire and cause a leak.