Recently, some questions have been raised about the general effectiveness of National Tire Safety Week and the various tire care communications that have been directed at American drivers over the past 11 years.

If you go strictly by the numbers, the impact of NTSW and all such tire care education efforts appear to have fallen, well, flat. RMA, which has led the NTSW charge for 11 years, has expended energy and capital to improve driver tire knowledge. So have other organizations, companies and dealers.

Back when we were pushing hard for a tire industry check-off program (you remember that idea, which the RMA fought as being “unconstitutional” and TIA simply backed away from), we stated quite obviously that in order to move the tire knowledge meter with distracted American consumers, an educational effort had to be massive. Millions of dollars right in the middle of “American Idol” and “Dancing With the Stars” massive.

While it is discouraging that there has been little to no improvement seen statistically – and as you will see, the statistics themselves are inconsistent – at least we can put some numbers to how bad tire education has fared.

Tracking results by the consumer tire care surveys RMA conducted each year since 2006, here is what we know (N/A = Not asked or reported):

• Consumers that properly check inflation pressure: 2006 – 19%; 2007 – N/A; 2008 – 14%; 2009 – N/A; 2010 – N/A; 2011 – 15%; 2012 – 15%.

• Consumers that know when to check inflation pressure: 2006 – 28%; 2007 – 26%; 2008 – 26%; 2009 – N/A; 2010 – N/A; 2011 – 43%; 2012 – 43%.

• Consumers that said inflation level information was on the sidewall: 2006 – 53%; 2007 – 45%; 2008 – 46%; 2009 – N/A; 2010 – N/A; 2011 – 53%; 2012 – N/A.

• Consumers that don’t check inflation of spare tire: 2006 – 73%; 2007 – N/A; 2008 – N/A; 2009 – N/A; 2010 – N/A; 2011 – 70%; 2012 – N/A.

• Consumers that understand when a tire is “bald”: 2006 – N/A; 2007 – N/A; 2008 – 33%; 2009 – N/A; 2010 – N/A; 2011 – 52%; 2012 – N/A.

• Drivers with four properly inflated tires: 2006 – N/A; 2007 – N/A; 2008 – N/A; 2009 – 9%; 2010 – 17%; 2011 – N/A; 2012 – 17%.

• Drivers with at least one tire underinflated: 2006 – N/A; 2007 – N/A; 2008 – N/A; 2009 – 50%; 2010 – 55%; 2011 – N/A; 2012 – 55%.

• Drivers with at least one tire underinflated by at least 8 psi: 2006 – N/A; 2007 – N/A; 2008 – N/A; 2009 – 19%; 2010 – 15%; 2011 – N/A/; 2012 – 15%.

• Drivers with at least one tire underinflated by at least 6 psi: 2006 – N/A; 2007 – N/A; 2008 – N/A; 2009 – N/A; 2010 – 20%; 2011 – N/A; 2012 – N/A.

• Drivers with at least one tire underinflated by at least 4 psi: 2006 – N/A; 2007 – N/A; 2008 – N/A; 2009 – N/A; 2010 – 31%; 2011 – N/A; 2012 – N/A.

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For those who have heard of the U.S. government’s EB-5 program but really don’t understand what it is, here is what you need to know.

The EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department, has often been referred to as “citizenship for sale.” In basic terms, a foreign investor can receive conditional visas for themselves and their families to work, live and attend school in the U.S. – provided they pony up at least $1 million as investment in a recently created business, or invest $500,000 in a business in a rural area or an area suffering high unemployment.

It is not illegal, but the program does ruffle more than a few feathers among politicians and businesspeople alike.

Such an investment must create or preserve at least 10 full-time jobs for U.S. workers within two years. Certainly not a heavy requirement in the least.

Here is the kicker, though: If all of the stipulations are met, the investor and their families are automatically bumped to “permanent resident status” and they can apply for full U.S. citizenship three years later.

Before everyone freaks out here, the government said that of the roughly 12,000 people who came in on EB-5 visas since the program began in 1990, only 39% earned permanent residency.

According to one report: “In the U.S., the immigrant investor program has been responsible for at least 46,810 jobs and more than $2.3 billion in investments since its inception in 1990, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services…Were the EB-5 program to meet its 10,000-visa (per year) quota, it would contribute more than $4.4 billion to GDP and create or preserve nearly 75,000 jobs annually, according to a 2010 report prepared for the government by consulting firm ICF International.”

Only about 3,500 EB-5 visas were issued in 2011, but 70% went to Chinese investors. If you’ll recall, the still invisible Washington Tire Corp./Colorado Tire Corp. plant planned for Washington state was seeking EB-5 investors.

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So, just how hot is it?

If you live in the St. Louis area – and deal with the breathless reports by the local media – hot enough to blow tires clean off!

As you will see by this photo from KMOV-TV, a well-siped truck tire was murdered by Mother Nature’s wrath, leaving its lifeless tread along the side of the highway.

According to the station’s July 18 report, “dangerously high temperatures are creating dangerous driving conditions with tire blow-outs on the rise…“Shredded, scattered, and stranded along mile after mile of bi-state roadway, many troubled tires have met their match on sun soaked pavement.”

But it gets more scientific: “To show just how much the temperature outside and on the road can affect your tire’s temperature, News 4 did an experiment. We drove our news truck and took the temperature of the tire. It clocked in at 126 degrees. We then tested a car’s tire that had not yet been driven, and the temperature was 113 degrees. We checked the pavement and it registered at 140 degrees. This all proves how much the heat affects the ground’s temperature, which affects your tire’s temperature.”

Or it proves you are confused by math. And tire physics, which state plainly that any tire that is driven on will gain temperature. Even in sub-zero cold.

And topping things off, a local AAA guy and supposed Tire Whisperer offered: “Unfortunately, when those (tires) give way they kind of separate for a mile or so. They’ll blow all over.”