Rubber Manufacturers Association Launches Consumer Education Campaign To Promote Proper Tire Care and Safety
15 November 2000
Rubber Manufacturers Association Launches Consumer Education Campaign To Promote Proper Tire Care and Safety
AAA Supports Tire Safety Campaign
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 The Rubber Manufacturers Association
(RMA) today launched a multi-year consumer education campaign to inform
drivers about the importance of proper tire care and maintenance to ensure
safe driving.
The theme of the campaign is "Be Tire Smart -- Play Your PART" (Pressure,
Alignment, Rotation, Tread). It stresses to consumers the importance of
taking five minutes every month to check their tires, including the spare.
Simple, easy-to-use checklists teach consumers the correct way to check air
pressure and tread wear, and to be aware of the wear-and-tear driving factors
affected by tire pressure, alignment and rotation.
"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that
250,000 accidents a year result from improperly inflated tires," said RMA
President & CEO Donald B. Shea. "RMA's goal is to help decrease this number
through proper education. The campaign will help drivers learn the simple
steps they can take to be sure their tires are in good working condition.
This information is especially important as drivers prepare to hit the road
for the Thanksgiving holiday season."
The campaign is supported by the American Automobile Association (AAA).
"Tires are one of the most important pieces of safety equipment on your car,"
said David Van Sickle, AAA's Director of Automotive & Consumer Information.
"Checking your tires on a regular basis is an important step in protecting
your safety as well as your automotive investment. AAA supports RMA's
consumer education campaign and encourages drivers to follow its tire safety
advice."
To help send the tire safety message to consumers, RMA today also launched
its newly redesigned Web site that includes a special Tire Safety section
promoting the consumer education campaign. The Web site,
http://www.rma.org/tiresafety , provides consumers with detailed information
on how to conduct the four simple steps of tire safety -- Pressure, Alignment,
Rotation and Tread. It also includes a handy tire safety checklist, a fact
sheet on how to take care of tires, seasonal driving tips, a tire safety quiz,
and more. Consumers can download the "Be Tire Smart -- Play Your PART"
campaign brochure from the Web site, or send an email to info@rma.org to have
a copy mailed to them.
New RMA research shows that consumers feel they are responsible for their
driving safety, and want to increase their knowledge of proper tire care and
maintenance. Only 23 percent of drivers received a grade of "C" or better on
a recent survey testing their knowledge of proper automobile tire care, with
36 percent scoring a "D," and 41 percent flunking the test.
"This campaign will give consumers the information they want to help them
be smart about tire safety," Shea said. "The research has helped refine our
messages and our audiences, which will help our education campaign deliver the
best possible results."
Shea pointed out two findings of particular concern in the research. Only
four percent of respondents volunteered that they routinely check their
vehicle's tire pressure, and only 45 percent knew where to look to find the
correct pressure for their car's tires, even though 78 percent thought they
knew. "Because underinflation is the leading cause of tire damage and
failure, the main focus of our consumer education campaign is showing drivers
how to correctly check tire air pressure and when to have experts perform
other important maintenance such as rotation and alignment."
Fleishman-Hillard Research conducted the poll and focus groups. For more
information about RMA's consumer education campaign, or to download a copy of
the consumer survey, visit the RMA Web site at http://www.rma.org/tiresafety
or call 202-682-4846.
Founded in 1915, the Rubber Manufacturers Association is the national
trade association of the rubber industry. Its membership includes more than
100 member companies and affiliated organizations that produce rubber or
rubber-related products.