C&T Publications REVOLUTIONS II - April 2015 | Page 48

Dashboard Warning Light

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Keep Up The Pressure!

Four out of ten drivers don't know this dashboard warning could save their lives!
(BPT) - When it comes to tire pressure safety, many drivers fall flat in connecting this all-important safety concern with
the dashboard icon that could alert them to a problem, a new national survey shows. With an estimated 245 million
cars and light trucks on U.S. roadways, driver safety concerns are top-of-mind among consumers. In fact, 95 percent of
drivers consider vehicle safety features an important issue when shopping for a car. Unfortunately, when it comes to
recognition of lifesaving vehicle dashboard icons, many drivers are unaware, uninformed and unprepared.
Four out of 10 drivers are unable to identify the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) warning symbol located on
vehicles' dashboards and don't know what the icon is when they see it, according to a new consumer survey
conducted on behalf of Schrader International. However, nearly 90 percent of drivers think properly inflated tires and
paying attention to an automatic warning system could save their lives.
This demonstrates a drastic disconnect between what drivers consider crucial to their safety and their actual ability to
recognize the tire pressure warning symbol. The need for additional education is clear. Fortunately, there are already
more than 104 million vehicles in the U.S. now equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system, and 91 percent of the
entire U.S. vehicle population is expected to be TPMS-equipped by 2023.
So, what does the TPMS alert mean for drivers? The TPMS vehicle dashboard icon is a crucial safety warning symbol
that indicates one or more of a vehicle's tires are significantly underinflated by more than 25 percent. Underinflated
tires can impair a car 's ability to maneuver and brake properly. This means a driver whose TPMS light appears is three
times more likely to be involved in a crash related to tire problems than a vehicle with proper inflation, according to
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA also reports underinflated tires are estimated to
cause: 200,000 accidents, 660 highway fatalities and 33,000 injuries annually, as well as 3.5 million gallons of gasoline
wasted daily.
To help raise awareness about TPMS and the importance of proper tire pressure, Schrader, the leading global
manufacturer of sensing and valve solutions and pioneer of TPMS, along with OEM car manufacturers, aftermarket
retailers, and state and federal governments, are dedicating resources toward consumer education. Schrader has
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