NHTSA LAUNCHES TIREWISE CONSUMER EDUCATION CAMPAIGN

By Catherine Howden

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently launched its TireWisecampaign that provides consumers and retailers with essential information about choosing and caring for tires. NHTSA estimates that each year there are almost 200 fatalities as a result of tire related crashes, and approximately 11,000 tire related crashes.

"Safety is our top priority and following these simple guidelines will help prevent needless deaths and injuries every year," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
"This campaign will help consumers make more informed choices every step of the way when it comes to choosing and caring for their tires, keeping them safer and saving them money at the same time."

Among the key advice and information included in the TireWise campaign are:

• Tire Buying – how to select the right type, size, and rating of tire.
  
  
• Tire Pressure – how to check your tire pressure monthly. Proper tire inflation is critical to ensuring safety.
  
  
• Treadwear – how to check tires for wear and other visual defects monthly. Don't exceed recommended treadwear limits.
  
  
• Tire Aging
  
  
  1. How to check the age of your tires,
     
     
  2. When you should consider replacing them,
     
     
  3. How tires break down over time,
     
     
  4. The factors that can make tires prone to aging and failure, and
     
     
  5. What you can do to extend the service life of your tires.
     
     
     
• Effects of High Temperatures – how to check tire pressure and conditions in hot climates. Warmer weather can contribute to tire aging and special attention should be given when driving in these areas.
  
  
• Replacing Tires – how to learn when your tires were manufactured and follow the vehicle manufacturer's recommendation for replacement regardless of actual miles on the tire. Tires can deteriorate over time even when not used frequently, for example, spare tires.
  

TIRE BUYING

TIRE BUYERS' FAQ—WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW AND ASK

The next time you're in the market to buy tires, be sure to print out these Tire Buyers' FAQ to equip yourself with key purchasing information about tires. Once you've selected the right tires for you and your vehicle, our Congratulations on Your New Tire Purchase Handout can help you locate and record important information that you'll need throughout the service life of your new tires.

What type of tire should I buy?

This will vary by where you live and the typical weather you drive in.

• All season tires can handle a variety of road conditions. They have some mud and snow capabilities.
  
  
• Winter tires are more effective than all season tires in deep snow.
  
  
• Summer tires are warm weather tires that are not designed to operate in temperatures below freezing or on snow and ice.
  
  
• All terrain tires are mainly used on four-wheel drive vehicles. They provide a good compromise between on-road driving and off-road capability.
  

How are tires rated? What does the tire rating mean?

Many tires are rated by the U.S. Government on treadwear, traction performance and
temperature resistance. It's called the Uniform Tire Quality Grading Standards (UTQGS), and the tire ratings are on the sidewall of every passenger vehicle tire sold in the
United States.

• Treadwear grades tell you how long the tread should last. For example, tires with a grade of 200 should wear twice as a long as a tire with a grade of 100. The tread on tires with highest numeric ratings, 600 or more, should take longer to wear down.
  
  
• Traction grades tell you the tire's ability to allow a car to stop on wet pavement in a shorter distance. It's graded AA, A, B or C, with AA being the highest rating.
  
  
• Temperature grades tell you how well the tire resists heat. It's graded A, B or C, with A being the highest rating.
  

What size tires should I buy?

Check your owner's manual or the Tire and Loading Information Label located on the driver's side door edge or post to find the correct size for your car or truck.

How old is the tire I'm buying?

All tires have a DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) on the sidewall. The last four digits represent the week and year the tire was made. NHTSA recommends checking this date when purchasing tires, along with knowing the vehicle manufacturer's recommended tire replacement timeframe.

TIRE MAINTENANCE

TAKE CARE OF YOUR TIRES: IT'S ABOUT SAFETY AND SAVINGS

How well do you take care of your tires? Do you keep them properly inflated? Do you check if they're worn? How much do you know about basic tire maintenance and its impact on safety and fuel consumption?

If you care about your safety, and about saving money, it's important to understand how tires affect your car or truck's performance.

Stay safe by taking care of your tires

• Poor tire maintenance—not having enough air in your tires and failing to rotate your tires, among other maintenance requirements—can lead to a flat tire, blowout, or the tread coming off your tire.
  
  
• About 200 people die on the road every year as the result of tire related crashes.
  

Save money by taking care of your tires

• Properly inflating your tires can save you as much as 11 cents per gallon on fuel. Yet only 19 percent of consumers properly inflate their tires. That means four out of five consumers are wasting money because of under inflated tires!
  
  
• Additional proper tire maintenance, such as rotation, balance and alignment, can help your tires last longer which will in turn save you money. In fact, properly inflated tires can extend the average life of a tire by 4,700 miles.
  

Five tire maintenance tips for safety and savings

Follow these five simple tire maintenance tips to protect yourself and your wallet.

1. Tire pressure

Proper tire pressure is the most important part of maintaining your tires. It affects safety, their durability, and your fuel consumption.

• Check the pressure of all tires, including your spare, at least once a month when the tires are "cold," meaning that the car hasn't be driven for at least three hours.
  
  
• Your tires' proper tire inflation pressure—measured in both kilopascals (kPA) and pounds per square inch (PSI or psi)—can be found on the Tire and Loading Information Label on the driver's side door edge or in your owner's manual.
  
  
• Keep a tire pressure gauge in your vehicle. A tire can suddenly lose pressure if you drive over a pothole or bump into a curb when you park.
  
  
  
  
  
• Newer vehicles have Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems, but these only activate a warning when a tire is significantly underinflated. You should still conduct a monthly tire pressure check to ensure your tires are always properly inflated.
  
  
  

2. Tire tread

Tire tread provides the gripping action and traction that prevents your car or truck from slipping and sliding, especially when the road is icy or wet. Tires are not safe and should be replaced when the tread is worn down to 2/32 of an inch.

• Check your tire's tread at least once a month when you're checking their pressure.
  
  
• Tires have built-in "treadwear indicators," which are raised sections that run in between the tire's tread. When the tread is worn down so that it's level with the tread indicator, it's time to replace your tires.
  
  
  
  
  
• You can also check your tread by placing a penny in the tread with Lincoln's head upside down and facing you. If you can see the top of Lincoln's head, replace your tires.
  

3. Balance and alignment

Having your tires balanced and a wheel alignment performed by a qualified technician is important for the safety of your vehicle and to maximize the life of your tires.

• Tire balancing ensures your wheels rotate properly and don't cause the vehicle to shake or vibrate. New tires should always be balanced when installed.
  
  
• A wheel alignment maximizes the life of your tires and prevents your car from veering to the right or left when driving on a straight, level road.
  

4. Tire rotation

Rotating your tires can help reduce irregular wear, which will help your tires last longer and maintain the fuel efficiency of your tires.

• Check your owner's manual for information on how frequently the tires on your vehicle should be rotated and the best pattern for rotation.
  
  
• If recommended by the vehicle manufacturer, rotate tires every 5,000 to 8,000 miles or sooner if uneven wear appears.
  
  
  
  
  
• For some vehicles, tire rotation is not recommended. If your front and rear tires are different sizes, you may not be able to rotate your tires. Check your owner's manual for guidance.
  

5. Tire size

To maintain tire safety, purchase new tires that are the same size as the vehicle's original tires or another size recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. Check your owner's manual or the Tire and Loading Information Label located on the driver's side door edge or post to find the correct size for your car or truck. If you have any doubt about the correct size to choose, consult with the tire dealer. They can find the correct size tire for your vehicle.

Research Tire Recalls or File a Complaint

In addition to following these five important maintenance tips, make sure that you receive notifications if your tire is subject to a recall. Register your tires with the tire manufacturer and sign-up to receive tire recall alerts from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

You can also file tire complaints regarding potential safety issues and check to see if other consumers have filed safety defect complaints or if NHTSA has an ongoing tire investigation.

TIRE AGING

Most vehicle owners can easily overlook tire aging increasing their risk of a crash. These Q&As will help you understand tire aging, how to extend their service life, and when to replace your tires.

What is it?

Tire aging occurs when the rubber and other components in a tire change over time due to service, storage, and environmental conditions.

Am I at risk?

Most of us drive our vehicles enough that the tires’ treads wear out, and we replace our tires before aging becomes an issue. However, if you own or use recreational vehicles, 15-passenger vans, collector cars, any other vehicles you don’t drive regularly, or if your annual mileage is low, you could be at risk.

In addition to infrequent use, exposure to sunlight and warmer climate, poor storage and poor maintenance also contribute to tire aging. Tire aging is a greater concern in the more southern parts of the Sun Belt states, as illustrated in the map on the right.

What can I do?

You cannot detect tire aging simply by looking at your tires. However, there are steps you can take to extend the service life of your tires.

• Conduct monthly maintenance inspections, focusing on proper tire inflation pressure, treadwear and tire damage, along with recurring tire rotation, and balancing and alignment services.
  
  
• If your car has a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), pay attention to it! All passenger cars, light trucks, and vans that are model year 2008 or newer come equipped with this feature. If the TPMS symbol lights up on your dashboard, it means at least one tire is already significantly underinflated—you should take immediate action.
  
  
  

When should I replace my tires?

• You should stop using tires for several reasons, including if a tire’s tread is worn down to a minimum depth using the penny test, signs of physical damage (cuts, cracks, bulges, etc.), or signs of irregular wear or other damage due to under inflation or overloading. Don’t use your spare as a replacement for worn tires.
  
  
  
  
  
• Consumers are strongly encouraged to be aware of not only their tires’ visual condition but also any change in how they perform. If you notice any tire performance issues, such as failing to maintain proper tire inflation pressure, noise, or vibration, consult a tire service professional.
  
  
• As tires age, they are more prone to failure. Some vehicle and tire manufacturers recommend replacing tires that are six to 10 years old, regardless of treadwear. You can determine how old your tire is by looking on the sidewall for your DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN). The last four digits of the TIN indicate the week and year the tire was made. If the TIN reads 0308 it was made in the third week of 2008.
  

Be aware of your spare

Spare tires on all vehicles are prone to aging because they seldom get replaced. Taking into account that tires degrade over time, NHTSA recommends that if your vehicle comes equipped with a full size spare tire, that it not be used as a replacement for worn tires, except in emergencies such as replacing a flat tire.

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