Checking Tires Can Prevent Accidents
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William Brown
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Do you check the air pressure on cold tires every month?
That’s what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
recommends.
And there’s good reason for the new emphasis on tire safety.
Tire problems are blamed for about one in every 50 traffic accidents.
According to the NHTSA, millions of Americans are driving vehicles
with substantially under-inflated tires.
According to a recent NHTSA survey, 27 percent of passenger cars
on U.S. roads have at least one under-inflated tire.
And 33 percent of light trucks (including sport utility vehicles,
vans and pickup trucks) are driven with at least one substantially
under-inflated tire.
Checking cold tires means checking tires that have not been driven
for at least three hours.
Some models of UAW-made vehicles offer a built-in compressor
and air gauge as optional equipment. So you can fill up on air
in your own driveway.
Another solution? Buy a tire gauge and check your air before
you start to drive. Then if you’re short 10 pounds, add that
much when you get to a nearby gas station.
But there’s a more dangerous situation facing many drivers.
According to NHTSA, 9 percent of passenger cars on U.S. roads
have at least one bald tire.
A tire with insufficient tread can cause a driver to lose traction,
especially under wet conditions. In addition, bald tires are more
prone to damage caused by road debris.
Tires should be replaced when the tread is down to 1/16 of an
inch.
One tried-and-true method of checking for tire wear is to place
a penny in the tread with Lincoln’s head upside down and
facing you.
If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, you are ready
for new tires.
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Buying Union-Made
Tires
You can find out what tires are union-made by members
of the United Steelworkers of America at the AFL-CIO
union label Web site. The address is:
www.unionlabel.org/dobuy/tires.htm
Tires contain a DOT number molded into the sidewall
of every tire. It looks like this: DOT AC L9 ABC 036
The two symbols following DOT indicate the plant.
For example, the letters AC show the tires were made
at the General Tire Plant in Charlotte, N.C., where
the workers belong to USWA Local 850L.
Union brands include Kelly-Springfield, Goodyear,
Yokohama, Pirelli, UniRoyal Goodrich, Cavalier, General,
Hoosier, Cooper, Bridgestone, Firestone and several
secondary brands.
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Points to Check
When You Buy Tires
To help consumers compare a passenger car tire’s
quality, the federal government requires tire companies
to grade tires in three areas.
This is not a safety grade or a guarantee of how
long a tire will last, as factors such as personal
driving style also play an important role.
Treadwear grade: A tire with a grade of 400
should wear twice as long as a tire grade of 200.
Traction grade: A tire with a traction grade
of AA should stop faster on wet pavement than a tire
with a traction grade of A, B or C.
Temperature grade: Driving long distances
in hot weather can cause a tire to deteriorate. A
tire with the best resistance to heat is graded an
A.
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