Michelin survey reveals significant misconceptions when it comes to tire performance over time
LAVAL, QC, May 29, 2018 /CNW/ - A recent survey by Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. revealed that 90% of Canadian drivers believe new tires will always perform better than worn tires. Yet, how a new tire performs doesn't necessarily indicate how it will perform over time, after it's worn. In fact, some worn tires provide wet-braking performance as good or better than certain other new tires, which is why Michelin supports testing of worn tires and making the results available to consumers.
"Drivers are making tire purchase and replacement decisions based on mileage warranty, price and appearance, factors that actually become less relevant the more you drive. Safety, however, remains relevant to drivers throughout the life of the tires they use," says Fred Ollendorff, Michelin marketing manager for on-road tires. "It's crucial for consumers to have better information about worn-tire performance and they should have access to worn-tire test results before they buy new tires."
Today, no independent testing for worn tires is available to consumers, but Michelin is starting the conversation to close this gap.
Ensuring consumers have access to worn tire test results is more than a safety issue. Consumers' lack of awareness around worn tire performance has larger, lasting impacts on the environment. The Michelin survey of Canadian drivers revealed the majority (56%) do not know how to evaluate when their tires are no longer safe to drive, which means they also may be replacing their tires before they need to. Replacing well-maintained tires early based on depth alone, for instance, contributes to more than 400 million wasted tires a year worldwide, which is equivalent to approximately 35 tons of CO2.
"The need to educate consumers about a tire's performance over time as a factor in both purchase decision and maintenance is a new concept for the industry," says Ollendorff. "As a company that thinks long-term about sustainable mobility, Michelin is working with dealers and other industry stakeholders to raises consumer awareness and understanding of this important issue."
For more information about Michelin and the topic of long-lasting performance, visit https://www.michelin.ca/CA/en/why-michelin/long-lasting-performance.html
About the survey
From April 25 to April 26, 2018, an online survey of 1,250 randomly selected Canadian adults who own a car and are Maru Voice Canada panelists was executed by Maru/Blue. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size has an estimated margin of error (which measures sampling variability) of +/- 2.7%, 19 times out of 20. The results have been weighted by education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec, by language) to match the population, according to Census data. This is to ensure the sample is representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.
About Michelin North America
Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks and motorcycles. The company has earned a long-standing reputation for building innovative premium tires. In addition to tires, the company also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America employs about 22,700 and operates 19 major manufacturing plants, three of which are in Nova Scotia, Canada (www.michelin.ca).
SOURCE Michelin North America (Canada) Inc.
Irene Aguzzi, PR Manager, Michelin North America (Canada) Inc., 514-475-7684, [email protected]
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