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Government Buys Advertising To Educate Public Rather Than Push New Auto Tire Inflation System MAXAIR-ATMI - August 28, 2007 |
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Orlando, Fla. - Instead of requiring a system that automatically inflates under-inflated tires, the Federal government is spending big money on an ad campaign to warn motorists about the dangers of driving with tires that are under-inflated. Orlando inventor Clyde Stech who pioneered and patented tire inflation and other systems for the trucking industry in the early 90s, says he was surprised to hear about the ad campaign. He has a patent with the US Patent Office for a system called the MAXAIR-ATMI that constantly monitors tire pressure on passenger vehicles and automatically fills the tires with air even while the car is moving. "The system does all the work," says Stech. "Drivers literally have nothing to worry about because the system is completely automated." What Stech doesn't get is why taxpayer money is being spent on an education campaign when there's a solution that can be easily included on new vehicles. "The government knows we have this system because we have contacted NHTSA and forwarded our information to the agency," says Stech. "Why not advocate the system instead of spending all this money on an education campaign." The new 30-second ad paid for by NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, warns the public about the dangers of under-inflated tires usually brought on by extreme heat. NHTSA estimates that under inflation may be in part to blame for killing 660 people each year causing about 33,000 injuries. Under inflation is also believed to be a factor in tread separation, NHTSA officials say. In 2000, Ford spent $3 billion to recall 13 million Firestone tires after they were linked to 280 deaths in SUVs. A section of the T.R.E.A.D. Act passed after the Ford/Firestone catastrophe, requires the Secretary of Transportation to mandate a warning system in new vehicles to alert operators when their tires are under inflated. It stops short of mandating a system like the MAXAIR-ATMI that not only monitors tire pressure but also automatically inflates tires with air. The MAXAIR-ATMI system digitally monitors a vehicle's tires and when sensors detect low tire pressure, an onboard air tank fills the tire -- one or all four. A survey by the tire industry earlier this year found 85 percent of drivers fail to properly check tire pressure. Though new vehicles are equipped with tire pressure monitoring devices, drivers often ignore the warning lights. "This technology is available and could be in every new car," says Stech. "It's amazing the government is spending all this money when a simple system could solve the problem." Contact: Clyde Stech, President of MAXAIR-ATMI ### |
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