Talk about your idiot lights.
A recent study by TPMS-maker Schrader showed that 33% of drivers have no idea what the low tire pressure warning lamp on their dashboards means.
The TPMS icon, which now shows up on all consumer vehicles sold in the U.S., illuminates when the inflation pressure of one or more of a vehicle’s tires falls to 25% below the vehicle maker’s recommended inflation pressure.
Schrader's study, however, showed that driver familiarity with the new “idiot light” is wanting. And NHTSA’s designed and mandated icon is not helping.
Schrader’s survey also found that 46% of drivers had no idea that the icon was supposed to represent a tire, and 14% thought it was a warning lamp for another vehicle system.
The study also showed that while 96% of drivers agree that driving on underinflated tires is a safety issue, 44% claim to rarely check their tire pressures.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Have You Checked Your Tires Lately?
Tire maintenance is something that many drivers overlook. Unless air pressure is drastically reducing, you can’t tell that it’s time to change your tires from behind the wheel of your car. But, neglecting to do so can cause damage to the suspension system of your vehicle, and it can increase your gas consumption if the car needs more power to run because of low air pressure or poor traction. There are also safety concerns, of course. Neglecting to change your tires when it’s needed can increase the odds of a collision, especially when the roads are slick with water and ice.
Here are a few things you should know about replacing your tires:
Check tires for wear regularly – the wear on your tires depends on how much you drive on a weekly basis. It’s important to inspect the wear on your tire treads on a regular basis and determine if the tires are wearing down consistently all over. If so,, it could be an indication you need new tires. If only certain spots are wearing out, you may not need new tires, just a wheel alignment, a change in air pressure or a tire rotation. For Dummies has some great diagrams depicting the different types of tire wear. Most manufacturers recommend rotating tires every 5,000 to 10,000 miles, but there are easy ways to check your tires yourself as well. (For more detail on tire rotation, check Edmunds.com )
Look for tread wear indicators – did you know that allowing your tires to wear down too much can land you a large ticket? The law in most states requires that you replace your tires when the tread falls below 1/16th of an inch. To gauge this, you don’t necessarily need to get out your tape measure. Most tires have rubber bands that are only visible when it’s time to replace your tires.
Check your mileage – it’s usually necessary to change your tires every 50,000 to 75,000 miles. This can vary depending upon the type of driving you do. When your odometer falls into this range, pay close attention to the tread depth of your tires. If you’re not certain whether or not you need to replace your tires, ask your Carhelp mechanic to take a look at them during your next oil change.
The buzz in the car servicing industry is that drivers who have purchased new vehicles with tires from the dealer are more likely to need a tire change sooner. When you replace your tires, look for manufacturers that guarantee a certain amount of mileage before they should require replacing to save money in the long run!
Here are a few things you should know about replacing your tires:
Check tires for wear regularly – the wear on your tires depends on how much you drive on a weekly basis. It’s important to inspect the wear on your tire treads on a regular basis and determine if the tires are wearing down consistently all over. If so,, it could be an indication you need new tires. If only certain spots are wearing out, you may not need new tires, just a wheel alignment, a change in air pressure or a tire rotation. For Dummies has some great diagrams depicting the different types of tire wear. Most manufacturers recommend rotating tires every 5,000 to 10,000 miles, but there are easy ways to check your tires yourself as well. (For more detail on tire rotation, check Edmunds.com )
Look for tread wear indicators – did you know that allowing your tires to wear down too much can land you a large ticket? The law in most states requires that you replace your tires when the tread falls below 1/16th of an inch. To gauge this, you don’t necessarily need to get out your tape measure. Most tires have rubber bands that are only visible when it’s time to replace your tires.
Check your mileage – it’s usually necessary to change your tires every 50,000 to 75,000 miles. This can vary depending upon the type of driving you do. When your odometer falls into this range, pay close attention to the tread depth of your tires. If you’re not certain whether or not you need to replace your tires, ask your Carhelp mechanic to take a look at them during your next oil change.
The buzz in the car servicing industry is that drivers who have purchased new vehicles with tires from the dealer are more likely to need a tire change sooner. When you replace your tires, look for manufacturers that guarantee a certain amount of mileage before they should require replacing to save money in the long run!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Driver Education Battles Texting Obsession
Never before have inattentive drivers had a distraction like this.
Texting while behind the wheel has made our roads less safe, especially when you consider that inexperienced teenage drivers are doing most of the clicking. So, driver safety instructors are stepping up efforts to combat the trend.
"It's a big problem," said Prince Boparai, who operates United Driving School on Calhoun Road in Brookfield. The school draws many of its students from the Elm Grove and Brookfield area.
"It's gotten to the point where we've started an exercise where we have the kids doing simple things, like trying to walk in a straight line, while they're texting. They'll realize it's not so easy. If that's the case, how can you be texting while driving a car?
"We're also going to get a new driving game that simulates what it's like to operate a car while texting. We've got to get the point across," he said.
Message getting stronger
Elm Grove's Gabbi Zierath, a 16-year-old enrolled in the class, said the exercises have been eye-openers.
"They showed us how hard it is to multitask," she said. "Our instructor would send us a text message while we were doing a math problem or riding on a bike, and we'd have to answer. I didn't think it would be that hard; actually, it really was."
Instructors aren't the only ones laying down the law. The state is bringing down the hammer, too, making texting while driving illegal starting Dec. 1.
Wisconsin is the 25th state to pass such legislation, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Penalties for sending text messages while driving will range from $20 to $400 - the same as for inattentive driving.
Beyond a ticket, Boparai hopes these alarming facts about the risks of texting will help get kids' attention:
• Eighty percent of all accidents are the result of being distracted.
• Texting raises the likelihood of getting into an accident by 23 times.
• A car travels 100 feet per second at 60 mph, so if a driver glances away to text for just five seconds while driving at that speed, he or she has just traveled 500 feet with their eyes off the road.
Some will take the risk
Even more convincing, Zierath said, were the graphic photos of texting-related crashes shown to her class.
"They were very scary," she said. "People die because of this."
As a result, Zierath said, texting while driving will be something she'll avoid, but she adds that not all her peers are convinced.
"No, I won't do that," she said, "but I think it's split. Some won't do it, but others will take the risk."
Meanwhile, Boparai is not only fighting the idea of texting on the road, but in his classroom - it happens even when the topic is inattentive driving.
"Yeah, it happens," he said. "The kids just can't seem to do without their text messages.
Texting while behind the wheel has made our roads less safe, especially when you consider that inexperienced teenage drivers are doing most of the clicking. So, driver safety instructors are stepping up efforts to combat the trend.
"It's a big problem," said Prince Boparai, who operates United Driving School on Calhoun Road in Brookfield. The school draws many of its students from the Elm Grove and Brookfield area.
"It's gotten to the point where we've started an exercise where we have the kids doing simple things, like trying to walk in a straight line, while they're texting. They'll realize it's not so easy. If that's the case, how can you be texting while driving a car?
"We're also going to get a new driving game that simulates what it's like to operate a car while texting. We've got to get the point across," he said.
Message getting stronger
Elm Grove's Gabbi Zierath, a 16-year-old enrolled in the class, said the exercises have been eye-openers.
"They showed us how hard it is to multitask," she said. "Our instructor would send us a text message while we were doing a math problem or riding on a bike, and we'd have to answer. I didn't think it would be that hard; actually, it really was."
Instructors aren't the only ones laying down the law. The state is bringing down the hammer, too, making texting while driving illegal starting Dec. 1.
Wisconsin is the 25th state to pass such legislation, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Penalties for sending text messages while driving will range from $20 to $400 - the same as for inattentive driving.
Beyond a ticket, Boparai hopes these alarming facts about the risks of texting will help get kids' attention:
• Eighty percent of all accidents are the result of being distracted.
• Texting raises the likelihood of getting into an accident by 23 times.
• A car travels 100 feet per second at 60 mph, so if a driver glances away to text for just five seconds while driving at that speed, he or she has just traveled 500 feet with their eyes off the road.
Some will take the risk
Even more convincing, Zierath said, were the graphic photos of texting-related crashes shown to her class.
"They were very scary," she said. "People die because of this."
As a result, Zierath said, texting while driving will be something she'll avoid, but she adds that not all her peers are convinced.
"No, I won't do that," she said, "but I think it's split. Some won't do it, but others will take the risk."
Meanwhile, Boparai is not only fighting the idea of texting on the road, but in his classroom - it happens even when the topic is inattentive driving.
"Yeah, it happens," he said. "The kids just can't seem to do without their text messages.
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