Next year’s Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) National Tire Safety Week will be June 6-12.
The ninth annual event is an initiative of the RMA’s Be Tire Smart – Play Your PART program, a year-round effort designed to help drivers learn the simple steps they can take to ensure that their tires are in good working condition.
Tire manufacturers and retailers nationwide will work to educate motorists about proper tire care and maintenance.
The RMA provides free “Be Tire Smart” brochures and other materials. Many of the participating tire dealers use the opportunity to promote tire care through advertising, in-store promotions, free tire pressure checks and media outreach campaigns.
Last year more than 21,000 tire dealers, auto sales operations and repair shops were on board for the endeavor.
The RMA released a survey of more than 5,400 vehicles that showed that half of them were afflicted with at least one underinflated tire. Nearly 20 percent of vehicles had a tire that was 8 pounds shy of the correct amount of air.
Underinflated tires waste fuel, risk safety and cause them to wear out faster.
Those interested in obtaining free National Tire Safety Week materials can order them online at www.betiresmart.org. Previous participants can expect to receive the packets again in 2010.
The list of Be Tire Smart partners includes: The AAA; American Car Care Centers (ACCC); Automotive Service Excellence (ASE); Big 10 Tires; Belle Tire; Big O Tires; Costco; Discount Tire Co.; Dunn Tire; Expert Tire; Firestone Complete Auto Care; GCR Tire Centers; Goodyear Auto Centers; Hyundai Motor America; Just Tires; Kaufman Tire; Les Schwab; Merchant’s Tire; the Motorist Assurance Program; the Recreational Vehicle Safety & Education Foundation; National Tire and Battery (NTB); the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA); Northwest Tire; Peerless Tires; Pep Boys; Sears Automotive Centers; STS Tire and Auto Centers; Sullivan Tire and Auto Service; Tire Factory; the Tire Industry Association (TIA); Tire Kingdom; Tire One; Tires Plus; Tire Warehouse; Town Fair Tires; VIP Parts, Tires and Service; and Wal-Mart Tire and Lube Express.
The Be Tire Smart program is funded by the RMA’s tire manufacturer members: Bridgestone Americas, Inc.; Continental Tire North America, Inc.; the Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.; the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.; Michelin North America, Inc.; Pirelli North America, Inc.; Toyo Tire Holdings of the Americas, Inc.; and Yokohama Tire Corp.
For more information, visit www.rma.org.
