High school tire safety checks aid charity and promote dealers' community standing
A National Tire Safety Week free tire pressure clinic at East Paulding High School in Dallas, Ga., raised $1,000 for the local Cops for Kids chapter while increasing tire safety awareness and perhaps heightening brand recognition for the sponsoring tire center. Firestone Complete Auto Care and the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) set up three tire check lanes. For every vehicle that came through, Firestone and RMA made a Cop for Kids contribution up to a total of $1,000. “We checked the tire inflation pressure and tread depth on more than 250 vehicles,” reports McKenna Pencak, public affairs coordinator for Bridgestone Firestone Retail & Commercial Operations. “Students without vehicles could watch a demonstration on how to check tire inflation pressure and tread depth on a demonstration vehicle.” Each student received a tire gauge, tread gauge, an RMA Be Tire Smart Play Your Part brochure and a Firestone Auto Care Tips brochure. “All of the juniors and seniors enrolled at the high school were dismissed from one of their classes and had the opportunity to drive through the tire check lanes and learn how to check the tire inflation pressure and tread depth on their vehicles,” Pencak explains. The tire check event “went extremely well. The students were very interested in learning about tire safety and were pleased to learn how to check the tire inflation pressure and tread depth on their vehicles.” Firestone Southeast Zone Vice President Ron Seagle initiated the hosting of automotive educational programs for East Paulding students after four of his daughter’s classmates were fatally injured in crashes. “Our team members regularly hold programs in our stores and around our communities teaching drivers how to properly maintain their vehicles and stay safer on the road,” says Pencak. Drivers behind the wheel of the one-in-four cars with at least one significantly under-inflated tire face increased risks on the road, wasted fuel and an accelerated deterioration of their tires. “Despite the implications of improper tire care, a nationwide industry survey indicates that only 6 percent of teen drivers properly check their tire inflation pressure. Dedicating just five minutes a month to care for tires can save lives, save fuel and save the environment,” Pencak points out. Other RMA teen survey findings conclude that: For more information, visit www.bfrc.com or www.rma.org. |
