Proper Tire Pressure: Possible Lifesaver

(CBS)  Many motorists don't pay much attention to it, but tire pressure can be important an important safety factor on the road.

Too little pressure can literally lead to crashes, warns The Early Show consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen.

Proper tire pressure leads to better gas mileage, so it can save you money on gas, she points out. And under-inflated tires tend to wear out more quickly.

But, Koeppen says, the No. 1 reason to keep close tabs on tire pressure is to stay safe.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 44 million people in the United States are driving with under-inflated tires. They can have a serious impact on a vehicle's handling, its braking abilities, and its performance in wet weather.

Jennifer Stockburger, a Consumer Reports tire safety expert, told Koeppen, "If you're riding on under-inflated tires, you're jeopardizing the safety of that car and your family."

She took Koeppen out on the Consumer Reports test track, to show just how treacherous under-inflated tires can be.

Even slightly under-inflated tires can be a hazard, Koeppen stressed.

Stockburger added: "(Tire inflation is) probably the most critical item, if we were to give advice and say, 'What one thing you can do to keep your car riding and handling?' It would be to check your inflation pressure."

Under normal driving conditions, tires can lose one to two pounds per square inch as air seeps through the rubber and out of the tires. When a tire is significantly under-inflated, 25 percent or more, its sidewalls flex more, and the air temperature inside the tire increases, which raises stress and the risk of failure.

A recent survey of U.S. drivers by the Rubber Manufacturers Association found people getting more complacent about checking tire pressure.

Only 55 percent said they've checked tire pressure within the past month, compared to 70 percent last year, when fuel prices peaked. Some 45 percent of drivers wrongly believe that the correct inflation pressure is the one printed on the tire sidewall. Another 15 percent don't know where to find the correct pressure. Twenty-six percent of drivers wrongly believe that the best time to check their tires is when they're warm, after having been driven for at least a few miles. And only 15 percent of drivers check their tire inflation pressure properly.

To do that:

Check it at least once a month.

Use the correct inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer, not the pressure listed on the tire sidewall. Look at the inside of your door — it will list the correct pressure for each tire. Those numbers are also listed in your owner's manual.

Check tires when they're cold or haven't been driven for at least three hours. If you check it right after driving, the pressure will read higher than it really is.

Use a tire pressure gauge. They cost as little as a dollar, and you can keep them in your glove compartment.

Go to the gas station and have an attendant put in air, or do it yourself. Or, if they have a portable air compressor machine, you can use that. Store it in the garage or in the trunk of your car

The rubber makers' association survey also found that 71 percent of drivers don't check the tire pressure in their spare tire. It's important to that, as well.

Each month, nearly seven out of 10 drivers wash their cars, but only one in seven correctly checks their tire pressure.

The NHTSA estimates more than 23,000 tow-away crashes were due to blowouts or flat tires. Under-inflated tires are blamed in crashes that result in 660 fatalities and 33,000 injuries each year. Twenty-seven percent of passenger cars and 32 percent of light trucks have at least one significantly under-inflated tire.

For more tips about tire pressure and tire maintenance, go to BeTireSmart.org.

For more on the "AirPro" cordless air compressor by Vector, go to Brookstone.com.

For more about the "Quiet Air" air compressor by Campbell Hausfeld, go to AirCompressorsDirect.com.

[maxair_atmi]

We at MAXAIR, ATMI, Inc. enjoyed the segment shown on the Early Show this morning in regards to tire pressure and safety and we are excited to educate others about our own product. We have a product designed by Clyde Stech that not only monitors tire pressure, but also automatically inflate the tires when low pressure is identified. Utilizing an air supply is not always feasible or accessible in enough time to avoid further tire and safety issues caused by low air pressure. MAXAIR requires no human intervention to maintain tire pressure. Additionally, MAXAIR works on all replacement tires, with no special tools or re-calibration needed. With new tires, other systems could require a return to the dealer for re-calibration. MAXAIR even provides an accessible air supply for recreational use such as bike tires, air mattresses, sports balls, or other car tires that may possibly need air. While this OEM product both monitors and automatically inflates tires, this system can be used with any existing monitoring system. We feel that all drivers and vehicles, as well as our environment, would benefit from our system!

Thanks for contributing this information during April%u2019s National Tire Safety Month.
[e-mail]

[soonerjlb-2009]

Thank you for your story about the importance of correct tire pressure. I work for a company called Banyan International Corp. and we designed, developed and manufactured an after-market Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)called the. The Wi-Gauge provides the industry's most advanced aftermarket tire pressure and temperature monitoring system. The Wi-Gauge TPMS takes the guess work out of tire inflation and maintenance. With Wi-Gauge on board, you will have the confidence that your tires are always operating at their optimal rated pressure. Wi-Gauge provides on-demand, real-time tire pressure status and automatically warns the driver of an under-inflated tire before it becomes dangerous.

Thank you for informative report!
Jay Burst
Banyan International Corp.
Office [phone] ext. 111
[e-mail]
www.banyanintl.net