Checking Tire Pressure at Your Quick Oil and Lube Facility

Why our team checks tire pressure for our customers?

How far along has tire pressure monitoring come recently? Well it is making significant strides in the transportation industries for a variety of reasons; reducing fuel costs, safety and insurance savings, regulations stemming from the Firestone Affair in the SUV market and lobbying from consumer groups.

The DOT has looked into these issues for passenger cars and the Tire Industry has had mixed emotions for a reason, often stating that the best thing to do is to educate consumers about tire pressure. A recent survey during Car Care Aware Week showed that 54% of all cars had one or more tires, which were low on air, thus causing excessive wear, stability issues and poor fuel efficiencies. This was an interesting case in fact. We see this all the time when we service our customers cars.

During this same study it was found that only 14% of the cars had one or more tires that needed tread and were worn out. It would behoove those in the car care industry to check tires as a courtesy for customers. Jiffy Lube and other companies do this already as part of a multi-point check list.

We believe that soon all over the road trucks will have some sort of low-pressure indicator either inside the cab or out side. Some already have sensors, which light up on the dash-board and along with GPS navigation which already indicates truck stops and repair stations which have tire shops or Tire chucks with air hoses.

Recently we discussed the issues with Large Passenger van rollovers and the NTSB did a huge study showing these vans to be unsafe, yet many of the problems stemmed from low air pressures and poor loading in rear or on top.

Once again issues of tires were the biggest. Under rated tires for the load or under inflated tires during the trip which contained the accident were a factor in the event itself. Some shop owners have asked me why should I get involved with tire pressures because I might be sued if I put air in and someone has an accident and they determine that on a dirt road the car had too much air in the tires for that condition, when I put the additional air in because the dad said he was taking his family on a road trip to Colorado or Kansas for four days?

I understand this comment and fear from lawsuits and admit that there are too many attorneys in the world and most should be eliminated forth with. But as a Car Care Professional you can prevent accidents and help people.

By Lance Winslow

Are Your Car Tires Safe?

Do you know most of the car accidents are caused because of one or the other fault in the car tires? Most of the car accident reimbursement that the car owners have to pay to the accident victims or the loss they have to incur in terms of insurance money they get is all due to fault in car tires. So, when you go out to buy a car then with all the factors like performance, brand, price, appearance, comfort, and maybe even safety, do consider the performance and integrity of the car tires as well. Even if you own a pre-owned car do make sure that your car tires are in good condition and match your car type, the kind of use it is put to and the geographical demand of the area where you live.

Reliable Tires

Remember different kinds of vehicle require different kinds of tires. So, you must do some research on your car type and its matching tire type. Do not trust the previous owner if you are buying a used car. Make sure it has compatible car tires. Tires are good for varying conditions, last for varying lengths of time, and cost varying amounts to replace. You must know what type of car tires would work the best in your area. Conditions such as extreme heat, frequent rain or snow, or heavy winter weather are some to consider when you are looking to purchase tires, or to purchase a vehicle with its unique tire needs.

Savings

Buying the appropriate tires for your car ensures lowered risk of mishap thus, lower insurance premium. Again for special usage cars such as racecars you can get a good insurance premium value if you make sure you use tires specifically made for such cars. High performance tires may cost more than the normal tires but using them saves a lot of money.

Driving on tires with worn-out tread can be extremely dangerous, especially in severe weather conditions. If any accident is caused in such conditions you will not only loose money in insurance but also have pay from your pocket to reimburse for the damage caused by your car and to your car. Different vehicles need different tires and also come with different insurance rates charged by different companies that insure you and your vehicle under different amounts. Thus, make sure your car tires are safe so that you are saved from insurance hassles later on.

By Joseph Kenny