NHTSA 2001 Tire Pressure Survey - And How to Change Habits

Below is a link to NHTSA's Tire Pressure Survey:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/0701tirepressure.pdf

In results Tables #4 and 5, pages 17 & 18, the survey lists "Tire Labeling"(tire sidewall) as the primary source used for determining proper inflation pressure.

Now while this survey is over twenty years old, it points to a habit or behavior that needs changing, at least at the time the survey was conducted.

So the purpose of this thread is actually less about tires and inflation, and more about brainstorming how to educate drivers and change habits regarding where to find proper inflation pressure information.

Why does John or Jane Doe driver go immediately to reading their tire sidewalls for inflation pressures?

And how do we change the habit of John or Jane Doe driver from doing so, to, looking elsewhere(on the vehicle itself, or in the vehicle's owners/operators manual)?

First, the 20 year gap is an issue.

This survey was done in the wake of the HUGE!! Firestone recall. Since that time, TPMS's were required on new cars starting in 2008.

There was a revision to the vehicle tire placard to make it much more obvious.

There's been a concerted effort by many to educate the public.

What might be interesting is to redo the survey and see what has changed.

First, the 20 year gap is an issue.

This survey was done in the wake of the HUGE!! Firestone recall. Since that time, TPMS's were required on new cars starting in 2008.

There was a revision to the vehicle tire placard to make it much more obvious.

There's been a concerted effort by many to educate the public.

What might be interesting is to redo the survey and see what has changed.


I conducted this (rather informal) survey on City-Data in 2020, and the results seem encouraging:

https://www.city-data.com/forum/automotive/3162797-mother-all-tire-pressure-surveys-4.html

The result could be that many (most?) people are now relying upon a system which might have accuracy as good as ±20%. That's probably good enough to prevent truly dangerous under- or over-inflation, but is not as verifiable as a pressure gauge.

I've used pressure transducers in industrial/commercial applications since the 1980's, and the BEST of those include instructions for periodical calibration. You're not going to get that from a $40 fixed transducer with a battery power pack. I don't mean to imply that the RETAIL price is $40, but the producer's cost.

The old and still valid axiom is that a person with a clock always "knows" what time it is, while a person with two clocks is always in doubt.

What's needed is a pop-up reminder that pops up on a cellphone as soon as it's turned on. It seems most people look at their phone while driving, so that is probably the best way to reach the target audience.

Just in case my sarcasm can't be sensed - I'm being sarcastic about the pop-up, but not about the very real issue of "distracted driving."

-Rod

What's needed is a pop-up reminder that pops up on a
cellphone as soon as it's turned on. It seems most people
look at their phone while driving, so that is probably the
best way to reach the target audience.

Just in case my sarcasm can't be sensed - I'm being
sarcastic about the pop-up, but not about the very real
issue of "distracted driving."

-Rod

I also thought of several options for the data on the tire sidewall:

1) "Max Pressure (edit)'ONLY': XXXkPa(XXpsi) *Consult Vehicle Literature for Recommended/ Appropriate Pressure for your specific car*

2) Leave Max. inflation pressure off passenger/P- metric tires altogether, and substitute on sidewall "See Vehicle Placard or Manual for Correct Pressures". The maximum inflation value(along with the wording "see Vehicle placard") could be included on the sticker that is applied to the tread of every new or re-tread tire. That sticker would be peeled off and given to customer with their tire invoice paperwork.

The primary goal of these suggestions is to reduce the tendency or urge for drivers to look to their tire sidewalls for inflation information.

First, it is unlikely that NHTSA is going to change the Max Load/Pressure thing.

Even if they do, the only people who are going to pay attention are those who are motivated anyway. The real problem is those who need a reminder, which is what the TPMS does.

First, it is unlikely that NHTSA is going to change
the Max Load/Pressure thing.

Even if they do, the only people who are going to pay
attention are those who are motivated anyway. The
real problem is those who need a reminder, which is
what the TPMS does.

It's not that costly to change the wording on the sidewall, to at least let the consumer know that the maximum allowable inflation pressure for the tire is not the ideal pressure for their specific vehicle.

I discovered the vehicle door frame Tire & Load placard 23 years ago, and never looked back. If I can learn to refer to it for pressures instead of the tire sidewall, so can anybody else.