As National Tire Safety Week commences its run on June 26 through July 3, AAA Western and Central New York are warning motorists to maintain awareness of the status of their tires, Niagara Frontier Publications reports.

AAA cited a study from the NHTSA as the basis for its concern, which found at least one tire inflated by 25% or more in 12% of 2004-2011 model-year passenger vehicles in the U.S. 

Additionally, the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) has reported that 53% of drivers do not know how to check the tread wear of their tires.

USTMA has recommended the “P.A.R.T.” acronym as a strategy for remembering essential tire maintenance: pressure, alignment, rotation, and tread.

As more Americans hit the road–with the number of miles traveled between 2022 and 2021 raising by over 29 billion miles, according to the Federal Highway Administration–drivers are being urged to become familiar with ways to check their tire tread wear, such as the upside-down coin trick, and to maintain regular inspections and maintenance from a professional.