Inspecting and maintaining your tires helps the environment

Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist in May joined with other lieutenant governors earlier this year in supporting a National Lieutenant Governors Association (NGLA) resolution that urges motorists to include regular tire inspections as an integral element of their household routines. 

As it has for the past three years, the NLGA underscored its support of the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association’s annual National Tire Safety Week initiative by reaffirming its commitment to helping promote vehicle tire safety as a core public welfare priority.

Noting that U.S. motorists traveled more than 3.2 trillion miles on tires in the past year, the NLGA is emphasizing the importance of checking tire pressure monthly and ensuring that vehicle tires are rotated and properly aligned. The resolution also highlights the necessity of assessing tire tread depth, given that excessively worn tires are more susceptible to punctures and hydroplaning in wet conditions. 

Kirsten Clemens, scrap tire coordinator for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, adds that Tire Safety Week is also an opportunity to focus on pro-environment tire care. "Properly inflated tires help promote better fuel economy, and regular care helps tires get the most potential wear prior to disposal. Fewer tire disposals result in fewer resources used to manufacture and recycle tires. They also reduce the chance that tires are dumped, burned, or become a mosquito breeding habitat."

The U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association is the national trade association for tire manufacturers that produce tires in the U.S.

Caption: Person working on tire maintenance in shop.