FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 20, 2002

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Genene W. Morris      (973)504-6327

NEWARK - To ensure the safety of all New Jerseyans as they travel the roadways this Memorial Day weekend, Attorney General David Samson today announced the launching of the "Safe Trip" campaign, a nationwide public awareness campaign on tire safety.

"As New Jerseyans take to the roadways this Memorial Day weekend, they should understand that safe travel starts with safe tires," Attorney General Samson said. "By simply checking the tire pressure of each tire and ensuring they are properly inflated, motorists can help prevent accidents and save lives."

"Approximately 41,730 people were killed and more than 3 million people were injured on the nation's public roads and highways last year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration," Consumer Affairs Acting Director Reni Erdos said. "Proper tire pressure is all too often overlooked. That is why we have taken up this cause. We will use the advertisements throughout the entire summer to educate drivers about the importance of tire safety."

The "Safe Trip" campaign, sponsored by Attorneys General and state offices of consumer protection throughout the nation, highlights the importance of proper tire maintenance. It features television and radio advertisements that send the message that overloaded vehicles and improperly inflated tires can lead to accidents, especially in hot weather. The advertisements will air nationwide around the three peak summer travel holidays: Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.

The advertisements send the message that overloaded vehicles and improperly inflated tires can lead to accidents in hot weather. The advertisements warn drivers to make sure they are not putting themselves and their families at risk.

"According to the Rubber Manufacturers Association, underinflation is a tire's No. 1 enemy," Attorney General Samson said. "It causes tires' sides to sag, the middle section of the tire to pull away from the road and puts undue stress on the tires' rims. Underinflation is a problem that is not always visible to the naked eye, making regular tire pressure checks essential to tire safety."

The "Safe Trip" campaign offers motorists the following tips to ensure their safety:

Check tire pressure at least once a month. Tires lose air through the rubber and at interfaces with the wheel and valve, making regular checks critical.

Use a tire gauge to check the pressure in all four tires and your spare. A tire-pressure gauge is available for as little as $3 to $5 at auto-parts stores and gas stations. Using a tire gauge is the only way to ensure tires are properly inflated.

Check your tire pressure when tires are cool. Make sure that the vehicle has been off and in a cool place for several hours to ensure the most accurate reading.

Use the automaker's recommended tire pressure. This is printed on a placard that usually appears in a vehicle on a door jam, inside the fuel-filler door, or on the inside of the glove box lid.

Follow recommended guidelines for checking tire pressure. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are six steps to proper tire inflation:

Step 1: Locate the vehicle's correct tire pressure on the tire information placard or in the vehicle owner's manual.

Step 2: Record the tire pressure of all tires.

Step 3: If the pressure is too high in any of the tires, slowly release air by gently pressing on the tire valve with the edge of your tire gauge until you get to the correct pressure.

Step 4: If the tire pressure is too low, note the difference between the measured tire pressure and the correct tire pressure. These "missing" pounds of pressure are what you will need to add.

Step 5: At a service station, add the missing pounds of air pressure to each tire that is underinflated.

Step 6: Check all vehicle tires to make sure they have the same air pressure (except in cases in which the front and rear tires are supposed to have different amounts of pressure.)

Perform a monthly tread check. Take a penny, and put it in the grooves of your tire with Lincoln's head down. As you look at it from the side, if you can see the top of Lincoln's head, then you need new tires.

Do not overload your car. Overloading your vehicle puts added stress on your tires and can magnify the risks of improper tire inflation. Be sure to adhere to the automaker's recommendation for car capacity.

To learn more about tire safety and the importance of proper tire inflation, visit www.safetrip.org.

Funding for the "Safe Trip" campaign was made available as part of a $51.5 million settlement reached in November 2001 with Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. and the Attorneys General from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Corporation Counsel of the District of Columbia. The settlement resolved consumer protection claims regarding allegedly defective tires manufactured by Bridgestone/Firestone, and misrepresentations the company allegedly made during the tire replacement process and its promotion of tires. Of the $51.5 million, $5 million was devoted to the national public service campaign, while up to $10 million was devoted to consumer restitution nationwide, $26.5 million was equally divided among all 50 states and the three other jurisdictions and approximately $10 million was devoted to the costs of the investigation in the states and three other jurisdictions.

Deputy Attorney General Lorraine Rak of the Division of Law handled this matter for New Jersey.