Giti Tire USA, Cooper Tire & Rubber Company and Yokohama join the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) to launch campaigns supporting National Tire Safety Week 2020, which will run through Sept. 6.
The 2020 campaign, “Know Your Roll,” is designed to educate consumers about the importance of proper tire care and maintenance, especially during a time when safety has never been more top-of-mind among Americans.
Thomas Okihisa, director of marketing for Giti Tire USA, which sells a comprehensive line of GT Radial passenger and light truck tires, said Giti will support the USTMA campaign with social media messaging during the week.
Yokohama Tire is releasing seven educational videos. Every day during Tire Safety Week, Yokohama will release one episode of the consumer-focused videos on its social media channels. An example of the videos is at https://www.facebook.com/256109915617/videos/231404751532673/. The video series features an array of Team Yokohama members such as racers Travis Pastrana and Justin Lofton.
The videos include:
- The Basics on Tire Changing with pro UTV drivers Wayne Matlock and Kristen Matlock
- Why Tires Matter with pro skateboarder Lyn-z Pastrana
- What is TPMS with action star/racer Travis Pastrana
- How to Check Tire Pressure with off-road racer Justin Lofton
- Checking Tread Depth with pro skateboarder Beaver Fleming
- Tire Rotation with overlander and author Dan Grec
- What the Three-Peak Mountain Snow Flake Means with Spartan world champion and obstacle racer Robert Killian
Cooper Tire is teaming up with professional race car driver Loni Unser to educate drivers about how to properly maintain their tires. Unser, a 22-year-old female race car driver, will take part in a day of tire safety outreach on Sept. 2. She will conduct a series of radio and television interviews from Indianapolis Motor Speedway that will focus on sharing three important tire safety checks that should be performed monthly and before long road trips.
“As we continue to navigate a new world impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, tire manufacturers continue to create the smartest and most sustainable technologies that put the safest tires on the road,” said Anne Forristall Luke, president and CEO of USTMA. “National Tire Safety week is an initiative that educates drivers about the critical role they play in maintaining tire safety and ensures they have the information they need to successfully prioritize safety on the road.”
USTMA recommends that drivers check their tire tread depth regularly, their tire pressure monthly, and ensure that their tires are rotated and properly aligned. According to one survey, less than 40% of drivers know how to properly check their tire pressure and one in three drivers don’t know how to tell if their tires are bald – a highly unsafe condition resulting from extreme loss of tire tread. As a result, USTMA also recommends consumers get periodic inspections by a tire professional to ensure optimal safety, performance and service life of their tires.
The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association is the national trade association for tire manufacturers that produce tires in the U.S. Their 13 member companies operate 56 tire-related manufacturing facilities in 17 states and generate over $27 billion in annual sales.
