Ohio Governor Bob Taft has proclaimed April 23 to April 29 as Ohio Tire Safety Week at the request of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., say Cooper officials.
Taft's proclamation coincides with the Rubber Manufacturers Association's annual National Tire Safety Week, which is dedicated to educating drivers about tire care and safety.
"Governor Taft's proclamation draws important attention to the significant role that tires play in safe travel," says Tom Dattilo, Cooper chairman, president and CEO.
"Tires are one of the most important, yet frequently overlooked, contributors to driving safety. To demonstrate the point, in a recent survey from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, under inflated tires were attributed to crashes that result in 660 fatalities and 33,000 injuries each year."
According to the Rubber Manufacturers Association, the four elements of tire care and maintenance include:
1. Checking tire inflation pressure at least once a month and prior to
long trips
2. Peiodic wheel alignment
3. Tire rotation every 6,000 to 8,000 miles
4. Regularly checking tire tread depth (should be at least 1/16 of an
inch)
More information on tire safety and maintenance is available on Cooper's Web site, www.coopertire.com, and on RMA's Web site, www.rma.org.
"Tire safety literature is also available at most Cooper Tire dealers," say Cooper officials. "Additionally, vehicle and tire owner's manuals should be reviewed periodically for the important safety information they contain."
