Midway through the June 3-9 11th annual National Tire Safety Week, survey results from the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) reveal that just one in six vehicles have four properly inflated tires, and only 15 percent of drivers know how to properly check tire pressure. Underinflated tires are a safety risk, waste gasoline and cause tires to wear out faster.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that underinflated tires contribute to more than 600 fatalities and 33,000 injuries each year, while the U.S. Department of Energy reports that underinflated tires waste more than 1 billion gallons of gasoline annually.
“America needs inflation,” says RMA President and CEO Charles Cannon. “In just five minutes every month, motorists can ensure that their tires are properly inflated which promotes safety, better fuel economy and helps prevent premature wear.”
A phone survey of 1,000 U.S. drivers, sponsored by the RMA, paints a bleak picture of Americans’ tire care knowledge and practices:
- 62 percent of drivers don’t know where to find the correct inflation pressure for their vehicle’s tires.
- 43 percent of drivers don’t know that tires should be checked “cold” – before driving, rather than after driving.
- 60 percent of drivers wash their cars once a month, only 15 percent properly check tire pressure once a month.
- 20 percent of men surveyed vs. 9 percent of women are “tire smart.”
Another RMA-sponsored survey of more than 6,000 vehicles found:
- Only 17 percent of vehicles had four properly inflated tires.
- 55 percent of vehicles had at least one underinflated tire.
- 15 percent of vehicles had at least one tire underinflated by 8 pounds per square inch (psi).
Solving America’s inflation problem is easy, according to Cannon, and it only takes five minutes every month.
To properly check tire pressure, the RMA recommends that motorists:
- Check tire pressure monthly and before long trips.
- Use the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended inflation pressure. This information is found on a label on the driver’s side door post or motorists can check their owner’s manual.
- Check tires when cold, before driving. Tires become warm when driven, which increases tire pressure.
For more information, visit www.rma.org.
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