Ho-Ho-Ho: New Tires Make the Perfect Holiday Gift

Having a hard time finding the perfect gift for that special someone? Well, don’t wait for Santa to figure it out: give the one you love a new set of tires.

And according to a new survey by Hankook Tire America, the recipient will be thrilled.

Hankook’s Winter Gauge Index showed that 84% of people would either like it or not mind if a loved one gave them tires for the holidays.

And for the 40% of Americans planning a holiday road trip, that gift would go to good use immediately. Many of those road trips – 28% to be precise – will cover more than 1,000 miles, the study found. Nearly half (46%) plan on driving more than 500 miles to reach their destination.

Winter driving conditions are a big concern: 63% of people are most concerned about skidding/icy roadways when it comes to winter driving (56% male, 70% female). Few are so brave: 18% of men said they have no concerns about winter driving, only 8% of women said they had no concerns.

Sadly, Americans are still missing out on the effectiveness of pure winter tires: the study showed that 77% favored all-season tires in the winter, while just 8% use winter tires. Education may make a difference, the study showed, as only 54% claimed to know the difference between all-season and snow tires.

The Hankook Tire Gauge Index survey of 1,002 randomly selected Americans was conducted Nov. 21-22 by Vision Critical.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has named Ryan Waldron as president of the company's Americas business unit, reporting to Chief Executive Officer and President Mark Stewart. He succeeds Steven R. McClellan, who retired on April 1.

"At Goodyear, our customers are at the center of everything we do, and in Ryan Waldron, we have a customer-centric, execution-focused business leader with a deep understanding of both the marketplace and all aspects of our business, as well as a proven track record of delivering results," Stewart said. "I am thrilled to announce him as president of Goodyear's Americas business and have enormous confidence that under his leadership, both the company and our customers will reach even greater levels of success."