Michelin urges new parents to stop overlooking tire safety
LAVAL, Québec (April 23, 2019)
Safety is a top priority when a new baby arrives in the family, but new research commissioned by Michelin North America, Inc. (Michelin), indicates parents are overlooking a critical safety gap when it comes to hitting the road with their most precious cargo. The overwhelming majority of car-owning parents surveyed say their children’s safety is important to them, but only about a third (37 percent) claim to have checked their tires to ensure they are safe1.
This action gap is particularly alarming because tires provide the vehicle’s only contact with the road surface once brakes are applied. In fact, Michelin estimates that during their lifecycle a set of tires may enable as many as 90,000 stops2, both unexpected and intentional.
Carl Nadeau, professional race car driver and Michelin driving expert, encourages new parents to consider the role tire care plays in their family’s on-road safety.
“As a father of two, I know the lengths parents go to keep their children safe, but it’s easy to overlook tire maintenance when you’re busy with a new baby, ”Nadeau said.“ All tires are worn from the moment they are installed. Life happens on worn tires, which is why wear and pressure should be checked regularly. We rely on tires to stop safely every time, over time. Of course, starting off with a quality set of tires counts for a lot.”
When worn Michelin® PremierTM A/S tires come to a complete stop, some other worn tires still continue travelling at over 24 km/h3. Choosing the right tires is an important part of child-proofing a vehicle to make sure its ready to take the road this spring. But tire inspection and maintenance cannot be ignored. There are a few simple safety checks that can help new parents protect their precious cargo:
- Check your tires for wear – Using the “Quarter Test’’, put the Quarter head first into your tread. The top part of the figurehead should be partially covered by the tread. If you can see the whole head, it's time to replace the tire.
- Check the air pressure – Tires can lose up to 1 psi (pounds per square inch) of pressure every month. Use a proper pressure gauge to check pressure when tires are cold (before driving or three hours after driving). Make sure your tires are inflated to the pressure that’s listed on the sticker inside the driver’s door of your car.
- Keep five years in mind ‒ After five years or more in use, your tires should be thoroughly inspected at least once per year by a professional.
- For more tips, visit this page
About Michelin North America
Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks and motorcycles. Michelin also offers a full range of innovative services and solutions that help make mobility safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly. To create unique mobility experiences, Michelin also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps, and road atlases. Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. (www.michelin.ca) employs 3,500 people in its three plants in Nova Scotia and through its Canadian Marketing and Sales office based in Laval, Quebec.
For more information, contact:
Irene Aguzzi
Michelin North America (Canada) Inc.
Cell: 514-475-7684
Email: irene.aguzzi@michelin.com
1. Based on results of an American national online survey of 1,001 car-owning parents of children under the age of 5. The survey was designed by Ketchum Analytics and facilitated by Dynata. The overall margin of error is ± 3.1% at the 95 percent confidence level.
2. Assuming the average consumer stops an estimated 0.9 times for every kilometre driven, the MICHELIN® Premier® A/S tire may stop 90,000 times during its warrantable tread life. Actual results may vary.
3. All tires wear out and should eventually be replaced. Based on internal worn wet braking test results from 80km/h vs. Goodyear® Assurance® WeatherReady® All Weather tires (travelling at 24 km/h, 1.8 metres beyond where MICHELIN® Premier™ A/S tires stopped) in size 215/55R17 94V on a 2019 Honda HR-V. All tires were machine-buffed to 3/32-inch. Actual on-road results may vary.