Cooper to conduct tire safety checks at high schools

FINDLAY, Ohio—Armed with tire gauges and a few pennies, Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. employees are on a mission to educate the youngest drivers about tire safety.

As part of its "Tread Wisely" program, which teaches young drivers about the importance of proper tire care, Cooper will conduct three-point tire safety checks at three high schools during the month of May. The tire checks, held in advance of National Tire Safety Week May 20-27, will be conducted in the parking lots of schools in towns where Cooper operates major facilities, according to the tire maker.

Cooper employees will conduct the checks, measuring tire inflation, tread depth and overall tire condition on students' cars, the company said. They will give students written assessments of the health of their tires, as well as additional tire safety tips and information from the Tread Wisely program.

The checks will be held May 8 at Tupelo High School, Tupelo, Miss.; May 16 at Findlay High School, Findlay, Ohio; and May 24 at Arkansas High School, Texarkana, Ark.

"Tires are the only thing connecting vehicles to the road, and that's why it is critical for drivers—especially those new to the road—to understand how important tire safety is and to know how to conduct their own tire safety checks at least once a month," Bill Geaman, Cooper's manager of consumer relations, said in a statement. "Cooper has hundreds of dedicated tire experts who serve as employee volunteers year-round in our communities around the globe to share tire safety information with young drivers.

The Tread Wisely program, which began in 2016, is intended to help provide young drivers between the ages of 15 and 25 with proper tire care education. The tire maker hosts programs in communities across the globe that work to educate young drivers about automotive safety.

To date, the campaign has taken its message to social media, engaged activist-minded teens through a partnership with DoSomething.org, and partnered with professional racer Arie Luyendyk Jr. to provide tips and resources to students.

Additional efforts, including career fairs and school visits, have resulted in meeting 300,000 young drivers to share tire safety information.

"We design and produce great tires," Geaman said, "and we give back to our communities by helping drivers be safer on the road any time of year, but especially during the busy summer travel season."