How often do you check your tire pressure?

Who can ever forget the Bridgestone-Firestone tire recall? It’s probably one of the most famous recalls in history and this month marks the 10-year anniversary. Below is an article from www.injuryboard.com that discusses how tire pressure is crucial to vehicle safety and how warnings in cars may still be inadequate.

The article says improperly inflated tires wear down unevenly, and in some cases tires can blow out, causing a loss of control. All new vehicles now have warnings called the “Tire Pressure Monitoring System” that tells drivers when their tires are 25% below the manufacturer's recommended tire pressure. But the warning symbols are often misunderstood by drivers, they do not identify which tire is underinflated, and only the expensive models of cars tend to have better warning systems.

How often do you check your tire pressure? The article below explains that the best ways to protect yourself from a tire blow out and serious injury. Here are some tips:

• Check your tire pressure regularly.
• Always take a tire pressure while the tires are cold – driving even a few blocks to a gas station can cause your tires to heat up and your pressure to register high. 
• Be aware of the recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer and the tire manufacturer.

-Ed Bernstein

Tire Pressure Crucial to Vehicle Safety – Warnings May Be Inadequate
Posted by David Mittleman
Thursday, August 19, 2010 5:04 PM EST

This month marks the 10-year anniversary of the massive Bridgestone/Firestone tire recall. Although the recall was technically “voluntary,” the action was taken in response to widespread news coverage of issues with tread separation, especially on Ford Explorers. Underinflation of the tires was identified as a major contributing factor in the tread separation incidents, and Firestone and Ford began to point fingers at each other. For many of us, the 2000 tire recall underscored the importance of proper tire inflation to vehicle safety.

Find this article at:
http://lansing.injuryboard.com/defective-and-dangerous-products/tire-pressure-crucial-to-vehicle-safety-warnings-may-be-inadequate.aspx?googleid=283822