WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 3, 2011)—U.S. consumers are uninformed and do a poor job of performing tire inflation checks, according to a telephone survey commissioned by the Rubber Manufacturers Association.
Only 15 percent of drivers check their tire-inflation pressure properly, and 62 percent didn't know where to find the correct tire inflation pressure for their vehicle, according to the survey of 1,000 drivers conducted by FrederickPolls L.L.C.
The RMA defined proper tire inflation checks as: done at least once a month; using the vehicle maker-recommended pressure; and done when tires are cold.
The RMA commissioned the survey in connection with the 2011 Tire Safety Week, which runs June 5-11.
Other relevations of the survey:
—Of the few drivers who checked pressures properly, men were twice as likely as women to do so;
—52 percent of drivers don't know how to tell if their tires are bald;
—43 percent don't know that tire pressures should be checked cold; and
Nearly 70 percent of drivers don't check the pressure of their spare tire.
On the positive side, three of four drivers surveyed said checking tire pressure is a top fuel-saving tip.