The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) has a full plate of events and activities planned to promote tire care and maintenance for this year's National Tire Safety Week.
The sixth National Tire Safety Week will be held April 22-28.
More than 17,000 tire dealers, auto dealers and auto repair facilties will offer RMA's "Be Tire Smart" brochure. "We have gotten a great deal of feedback from many tire dealers who are planning tire safety events, promotions and other activities including media outreach," says Dan Zielinski, vice president of communications for the RMA.
RMA is working with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. this week to co-sponsor tire care and safety events in five cities: Cincinnati, Ohio (April 16); Atlanta, Ga., and Jacksonville, Fla. (April 17); Houston, Texas (April 18); and Dallas, Texas (April 19).
Other activities include the following:
* On April 19, RMA is co-hosting a tire pressure check event with Sullivan Tire and Auto Service in Plymouth, Mass. The event will take place at the Massachusetts Vistor Center.
Motorists stopping by the free tire pressure check lane will receive "Be Tire Smart" tire care information, tire gauge and other items donated by local chambers of commerce and others. (Sullivan Tire Co. Inc. will be sponsoring further events at other state visitor centers later this spring.)
* For April 21-22, all Wal-Mart Tire and Lube Express locations are being encouraged to offer free tire pressure check lanes in addition to offering "Be Tire Smart" information to their customers. Additionally, Sam's Club locations also will offer "Be Tire Smart" brochures.
* On Monday, April 23, RMA, the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB), California Highway Patrol (CHP) and AAA Northern California will co-host a National Tire Safety Week press conference at the Sacramento CHP training academy. The press conference will highlight 2007 RMA survey information and the CIWMB's efforts to promote proper tire care as a means to maximize tire longevity and fuel efficiency.
The demonstration will show how improperly maintained tires can have safety consequences.
(Throughout April, Les Schwab Tire Centers and the CIWMB are co-sponsoring radio ads that will promote proper tire care.)
* On Monday, April 24, RMA is sponsoring a satellite media tour with spokesperson Courtney Hansen, host of Spike TV's "Powerbock" and Fox Sports Net's "Destination Wild." Hansen is also the author of the upcoming book, "The Garage Girl's Guide to Everything You Need to Know about Your Car."
RMA also will be conducting a 20-station radio media tour on April 20 and 25 and will distribute four radio public service announcements (PSA) to 3,000 stations nationwide.
One of the PSA's features NASCAR's David Ragan, driver of the Discount Tire Co. Inc. car in the Busch Series. You can listen to all of RMA's radio PSAs at: www.rma.org/tire_safety/tire_maintenance_and_safety/national_tire_safety_week/index.cfm.
"To date, we've received 13 state proclamations supporting National Tire Safety Week but we expect more in the coming week," adds Zielinski.
