WASHINGTON (April 26, 2004) — Only one driver in seven checks his or her tires properly at least once a month, compared with one in three who washes their car at least once a month, according to the latest tire safety survey from the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA).
Released in conjunction with National Tire Safety Week, the RMA survey demonstrated once again that U.S. motorists generally are misinformed about their tires. The survey also found that:
* 55 percent wrongly believe the correct inflation is on the tire sidewall, instead of the vehicle placard;
* 30 percent wrongly believe a tire should be driven a few miles before the air pressure is checked;
* Nearly one in three believe tires should be slightly underinflated on a long trip with a fully loaded vehicle; and
* Two in three drivers don't know how to tell if their vehicle's tires are bald.
More than 3.5 million “Be Tire Smart—Play Your PART” tire safety brochures from the RMA are being distributed this week through more than 8,400 tire retailers across the U.S. “PART,” the association said, is an acronym for the four crucial elements of tire care—Pressure, Alignment, Rotation, and Tread.