WEDNESDAY, Aug. 29, 2001 (HealthDayNews) -- The next time you pump some gas into your car, you may want to head to the air pump as well. There's a good chance your tires are as low as your tank.
A new study says that 27 percent of cars are riding on at least one underinflated tire, risking serious and potentially deadly accidents. For light trucks like sport utility vehicles, the number riding on underinflated tires is closer to one in three, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which conducted the study.
The agency defines underinflated tires as those having air pressure at least eight pounds per square inch (psi) below the recommended level, which is typically 32 psi for passenger cars.
Last month, NHTSA proposed a new safety standard that by 2003 would require all vehicles with a gross weight under 10,000 pounds to install monitors to warn drivers when tire pressures becomes dangerously low. The move was prompted by a recall of 6.5 million Firestone tires over tread defects that have been linked to more than 200 deaths. Underinflation is believed to have exacerbated the tread problems.
Officials estimate that as many as 79 deaths and 10,635 injuries could be prevented each year if all vehicles were equipped with tire pressure monitors. Low tires also sap fuel efficiency and hobble handling.
"It is vitally important to safety to carefully monitor tire pressure on a regular basis, and I urge motorists to check their tires before setting out on Labor Day trips," Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta says in a statement. "Driving with substantially underinflated tires can lead to crashes and tragedy, in addition to reducing fuel efficiency and shortening tire life."
Pushing Americans to more carefully watch their tire pressure "is something that's going to save a life somewhere along the line," says a NHTSA spokesperson.
Dan Zielinski, a spokesman for the Rubber Manufacturers Association, which represents tire makers, says the monitors can be easily hooked up to anti-lock braking systems. But the rubber group says it's concerned that drivers will rely too heavily on the warning system and stop checking their tire pressure every month.
"Our concern in putting a system on the vehicle is that people are notified when the tires are unable to handle the load. In our view, that's what's important," Zielinksi says. But if it warns too often, then people may become irritated by the alarm and ignore it, he adds.
Mantill Williams, a spokesman for AAA, says the auto club "applauds" the move to make tire monitors mandatory. However, he says, the group also worries that it might further encourage bad tire habits and give motorists a "false sense of security."
The report was based on a survey of 11,530 passenger vehicles during a two-week period in February, and included drivers who stopped at 300 gas stations across the country.
The survey found that 6 percent of SUVs, vans and pickup trucks ride with all four tires underinflated, twice the figure for passenger vehicles. In addition, one in 10 light trucks has at least three tires low on air -- again almost twice that for cars. Twenty percent have at least two tires short at least 8 psi of air, compared with 13 percent of passenger vehicles.
Stephanie Faul, a spokeswoman for AAA's Foundation for Traffic Safety, says Americans may be knowledgable about their cars but largely ignore their tires.
The group recently conducted its own survey, which found that almost half the drivers in this country overinflate their tires by mistakenly filling them to the specifications printed on the side wall. The optimal figure is that printed on the door frame or in the owner's manual.
What To Do
Labor Day is a major driving holiday, so check your tire pressure before you head out. Because radial tires can look well-filled even when they're hazardously low, be sure to read the pressure with a gauge at least once a month.
Checking air pressure is only one-third of proper tire care, says Williams, the AAA spokesman. "People also need to look at treads and side walls" to make sure they are in good shape.
To learn more about the latest report, check out NHTSA.
For more on auto safety in general, try the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Meanwhile, the Rubber Manufacturers Association can help you take care of your tires.
