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Dan Zielinski, Vice President of Public Affairs for Rubber Manufacturers Association

WHY: Gearing up for the upcoming Thanksgiving and holiday travel, more drivers are overlooking an important aspect that is critical to keeping them and their families safe while on the road– their tires. According to a survey by the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), which represents this country’s tire manufacturers, 13% of vehicles surveyed nationally had at least one bald tire, up from the previous stat of 10.4%. This means as many as 33 million vehicles on the road are at risk. Bald tires cannot properly grip the road and can lead to slipping, sliding and even accidents – especially in wet weather conditions. Further, an earlier RMA survey showed that 64% of car owners did not know how to check tread depth, 9% never check their tread depth. Making sure that your tires are safe for the road is easy and economical – all you need is a penny. § The “Penny test”: Insert Abe’s head upside down into the tread in a couple of spots on each tire. If you can see the entire top of his head, your tread is less than one-sixteenth of an inch deep – below the level where you can count on it in slippery conditions – and it should be replaced. Without sufficient tread depth, your vehicle can’t properly grip the road. Under wet weather conditions, insufficient tread depth can cause a vehicle to hydroplane and potentially lead to a crash. Date Recorded: 11/20/2013

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