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NHTSA: Check Your Tire Pressure

Under-inflated tires especially dangerous on hot summer highways

By Joe Benton
ConsumerAffairs.com

August 13, 2007

Nicole Nason, Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is urging drivers to check tire pressure and tread-wear often but especially during the summer months.

“Checking tires is particularly critical during the summer when roads are hot and families are putting a lot of miles on their cars with their vacation plans,” Nason said. “Overloaded vehicles, under-inflated tires, and hot weather can all combine to possibly turn a family vacation into a horrific nightmare.”

NHTSA also reports that research shows that hot weather can also impact the tire aging process, particularly in warm-climate states.

Nason released a public service television campaign that federal regulators hope will encourage people to regularly check their tires for proper air pressure and monitor tread wear.

“Properly maintained tires improve the steering, stopping, traction and fuel economy of your vehicle,” Nason said. “Under-inflated tires or worn-down treads are a major cause of failure.”

A tire industry survey this year found 85 percent of drivers fail to properly check tire pressure. NHTSA estimates that crashes associated with tire problems take approximately 660 lives each year and injure 33,000 people.

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