Parents take extreme care to safeguard their children, but new research commissioned by Michelin North America, Inc. indicates they are missing a critical safety gap when it comes to the family vehicle.
The study found that while the overwhelming majority of car-owning American parents say their children’s safety is important to them, only about a third (37%) claim to have checked their tires to ensure they are safe. Fewer than one in five (18%) have installed new tires to improve their kids’ overall safety. Michelin estimates that a set of tires may enable as many as 90,000 stops, both unexpected and intentional, during the course of its lifecycle.
To help champion tire safety in families, Michelin and Graco Children’s Products, Inc. have joined together to raise awareness of what parents can do to improve the safety of their vehicles — inside and out.
“We know parents go to great lengths to keep their children safe, but families on the go may not stop and think about what they may have overlooked — specifically, the safety of their tires,” said Yahn Heurlin, vice president of marketing for Michelin North America. “We all spend
significant time in our vehicles and need them to stop safely, whether planned or at a moment’s notice. And your tires play a key role in that moment of need.”
The research also found:
- American children under 5 years old spend an average of 6.5 hours in the car every week, but fewer than half (45%) of parents
have baby- or child-proofed their cars. - More than half of Americans (53%) believe that to keep a child safe in the car, all that really matters is a good car seat.
- Nearly one in four American parents (23%) do not check their tires before taking their young children on long car trips.
As part of the effort, Michelin and Graco have teamed up to create educational content and experiences — both online and in real life — to help families understand the roles that both tires and car seats play in family travel safety.
In addition, the two companies are creating 100,000 “Welcome Baby Kits,” that will be distributed to expecting and new parents through partners such as The Baby Box Co., Fatherly and The Bump. The kit includes important tools such as a tire-pressure gauge, a Michelin Man penny for tread-depth tests, as well as a Michelin Man plush doll, additional product information
“We know that parents research and select the products they buy based on safety performance ratings and reviews,” Heurlin said. “However, worn-tire performance information is limited. The fact is, our lives happen on worn tires, but we still need to rely on them to stop safely over time. When you are driving with precious cargo — every stop counts.”
For more information and resources, including details on Michelin and third-party independent testing, please visit michelinman.com/longlastingperformance.
