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In Nationwide Survey, Most Drivers Flunk Tire Quiz

15 November 2000

In Nationwide Survey, Most Drivers Flunk Tire Quiz

                RMA Survey and Focus Groups Show That Drivers
            Need and Want Tire Maintenance and Safety Information

    WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 Only 23 percent of drivers received a
grade of "C" or better in a recent nationwide survey testing their knowledge
of proper automobile tire care.  Thirty-six percent scored a "D," and 41
percent flunked.
    The Tire Quiz was conducted on behalf of the Rubber Manufacturers
Association (RMA) to inform its new consumer education campaign on tire
maintenance and safety.  The survey, and focus groups probing driver attitudes
on the issue, showed that drivers felt they should be responsible for their
driving safety, and not only needed but wanted maintenance and safety
information that would help them avoid tire problems.
    "The research shows that paying attention to their tires is not top of
mind for American drivers," said Donald B. Shea, president and CEO of RMA.
"For safety's sake, that needs to change.  This research has helped refine our
messages and our audiences, which will help our education campaign deliver the
best possible results."
    Even those who change their own oil and perform other routine maintenance
tasks tend to know less about tire safety and maintenance than one would
think. When asked about routine maintenance tasks for their cars, only 32
percent mentioned some form of tire maintenance such as checking pressure,
rotating tires, or changing or replacing tires, compared to 71 percent who
mentioned oil changes.  These do-it-yourselfers did no better on the Tire Quiz
than other drivers.
    "Of particular concern is the finding that only four percent of
respondents volunteered that they routinely check their vehicle's tire
pressure," said Shea.
    "Underinflation is a tire's enemy Number One, causing far more tire damage
and failure than any other cause."  Shea also stressed that only 45 percent of
respondents knew where to look to find the correct pressure for their car's
tires, even though 78 percent thought they knew.  Twenty-seven percent
incorrectly believed the sidewall of the tire carries the correct information.
The sidewall indicates the maximum pressure for the tire, not the optimum
pressure for the vehicle.

    Other key findings of the survey and focus groups:
    * Only 28 percent knew the recommended mileage interval for rotating their
      tires.
    * Only 22 percent chose one-sixteenth of an inch as the tread depth at
      which a tire should be replaced.
    * Women are somewhat more likely than men to worry about tire problems,
      while more men than women worry about getting a ticket.
    * Seventy-three percent said they had a tire pressure gauge in their
      primary vehicle, but 60 percent said they had never checked the pressure
      in their spare.