Government efforts to educate consumers about tire
safety would be better accomplished at tire stores
rather than relying on an online process, according to
the Tire Industry Association (TIA).
The organization has submitted comments to the National
Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) on
the continued delay of the implementation of the tire
consumer education program, the consumer information
collection methodology and the promulgation of the rules
for the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of
2007.
The goals of the Tire Fuel Efficiency Consumer
Information Program are to increase fuel efficiency,
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the
nation’s energy independence.
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 which
mandates the program, called for the promulgation of
rules as of December 2009, yet the Agency has yet to
issue them.
Part of the comments TIA submitted are that the
education of consumers on the proper inflation and
maintenance of tires can begin almost immediately and be
available by the beginning of next year.
TIA also says that the tire efficiency labeling system
included in the EISA package requires additional
deliberation.
PAGE 2
TIA assisted NHTSA in amassing data during Phase I of
the research process connecting the Agency with tire
dealers. However, there are serious concerns about the
upcoming quantitative research phase and its reliance on
data gathered via an online survey approach, says TIA
President Mike Berra Jr.
He notes that “since NHTSA research has an especially
targeted audience of consumers who are purchasing tires,
that conducting the questionnaires in stores is the
ideal circumstance.”
Berra goes on to contend that “online surveying has
numerous issues, including its reliance on closed ended
questions, being online is a completely different
circumstance than when a consumer is in an auto service
shop buying tires and the fact that so many online
surveys are veiled sales scams, therefore many Americans
avoid online surveys because of a previously bad
experience.”
Dr. Roy Littlefield, TIA’s executive vice president,
says that “surveying a customer while they are in the
process of purchasing new tires will yield more accurate
results, giving NHTSA a direct, focused snapshot of the
tire purchase experience.”
For more information, visit www.tireindustry.org.
