Tire Safety Importance
Across the US, the makers and sellers of tires are promoting the importance of proper care and maintenance of your car tires.
Duirng this year's Tire Safety Week, auto related merchants will be distributing "Be Tire Smart" brochures. The brochures are designed to inform the consumer about taking care of your tires. They are in conjuction with the Rubber Manufacturers Association's (RMA) "Be Tire Smart, Play Your PART campaign. PART is an acronym for Pressure, Alignment, Rotation & Tread.
According to Hugh Pace, chairman and CEO at Pireli tire makers, "using RMA's tire care tips, consumers can maximize their vehicle safety, achieve better fuel economy and get the most wear from their tires."
In a survery recently conducted by RMA together with retailers, customers revealed that about 50% of the cars driven in the United States have at least one tire that is not properly inflated. Approximately one-quarter of the drivers surveyed had a tire that was significanlty underinflated enough to effect the safety of their vehicles and to waste gas.
New model vehicles are come equipped with TPMS. a tire pressure monitoring system. The system is design to alert the driver after their tire pressure falls below 25% of the manufacturer's recommendations. However, an 8% loss of of pressure could effect the fuel economy of the vehicle and effect safety.
To make sure that you have tires are properly inflated, you should check your tires once a month, when the tires are cold. It is important to follow the manufacturer's recommendations which are located on the driver's door or door post. The information is also contained in the owner's manual
Charles A. Cannon, the president and CEO of RMA notes that "taking five minutes every month to check tire pressure will put money in consumers' pockets, reduce national fuel consumption, help tires last longer and save lives. Few actions that are so simple and quick to do have such striking benefits."
