Mr. Obvious and the rest of the NHTSA staff put out a press release last week warning of untold horrors should drivers drive on underinflated tires.
Mayhem! Death! Worse!
NHTSA said that 5% of all on-road accidents in America were caused by tire problems. 5%!
Further, NHTSA said that vehicles with tires underinflated by 25% or more were “three times as likely to be involved in a crash linked to tire problems,” according to a Detroit News story on the subject. Oh, the horror!
For you cynics out there, that 25% figure is probably not unintentional. It is, after all, the inflation threshold at which TPMS warning lights go on. Nothing like supporting your ill-founded position!
More interesting, though, was NHTSA “new study” was actually a review of crash data from 2005-07. That is, NHTSA’s new news was actually five to seven years old, and pre-TPMS.
So other than making NHTSA feel useful – and scaring consumers with headlines like “Those underinflated tires could kill you” – what good was this whole thing? Consumer education? Heck, people can count, and they don’t scare easy. Even a third grader understands that data from the last decade isn’t all that “new.”
And if consumer education is all that important, don’t you think NHTSA should finally resolve the consumer education portion of the tire testing/grading/labeling regulations we’ve been awaiting since, well, 2007?
Interestingly, the Detroit News contacted the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents eight automakers (including Ford, GM and Chrysler) for comment. The AAM and its members, it appears, had no comment as it is “reviewing the study.” Of course they are. And by “they” I mean “their lawyers.”
Detroit News readers, however, has plenty of comments – some worrisome for us tire folk (and those who care about spelling):
• “Well I can see it now, traffic stops to check your tire pressure while the nanny state is at check your BMI, search the car for McDonald wrappers, force you into a gov’t run training program to make you put air in your tires and start eating tofu, unless you are driving a SUV then you are imprisoned on the spot!”
• “95% people died on bed. Shall we ban beds?”
• “Gotta love statisticians and what they can come up with. How bout the old addage about death and taxes? (some never pay taxes) living off of the great society.”
• “And the cure for dumb car owners is…”
• “Right but the government got involved and now all manufacturers will have to have some kind of monitor that tells these dimwit drivers they need some air in a tar or two.”
• “Incredible news. Hope they didn’t waste a lot of time coming up with this DUH!”
• “5%, really! A study to prove 5%. This country has way to much time and our money!”
• “Part of Obamas plan to get us off of foreign oil, air up your tires.”
