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Tire Safety Information Studies of tire safety show that maintaining proper tire pressure, observing tire and vehicle load limits (not carrying more weight in your vehicle than your tires or vehicle can safely handle), avoiding road hazards, and inspecting tires for cuts, slashes, and other irregularities are the most important things you can do to avoid tire failure, such as tread separation or blowout and flat tires. These actions, along with other care and maintenance activities, can also: �� Improve vehicle handling �� Help protect you and others from avoidable breakdowns and accidents �� Improve fuel economy �� Increase the life of your tires. This booklet presents a comprehensive overview of tire safety, including information on the following topics: �� Basic tire maintenance �� Uniform Tire Quality Grading System �� Fundamental characteristics of tires �� Tire safety tips. Use this information to make tire safety a regular part of your vehicle maintenance routine. Recognize that the time you spend is minimal compared with the inconvenience and safety consequences of a flat tire or other tire failure. SAFETY FIRST–BASIC TIRE MAINTENANCE Properly maintained tires improve the steering, stopping, traction, and loadcarrying capability of your vehicle. Underinflated tires and overloaded vehicles are a major cause of tire failure. Therefore, as mentioned above, to avoid flat tires and other types of tire failure, you should maintain proper tire pressure, observe tire and vehicle load limits, avoid road hazards, and regularly inspect your tires. 44 F INDING YOUR VEHICLE'S RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURE AND LOAD LIMITS Tire information placards and vehicle certification labels contain information on tires and load limits. These labels indicate the vehicle manufacturer's information including: �� Recommended tire size �� Recommended tire inflation pressure �� Vehicle capacity weight (VCW–the maximum occupant and cargo weight a vehicle is designed to carry) �� Front and rear gross axle weight ratings (GAWR– the maximum weight the axle systems are designed to carry). Both placards and certification labels are permanently attached to the trailer near the left front. UNDERSTANDING TIRE PRESSURE AND LOAD LIMITS Tire inflation pressure is the level of air in the tire that provides it with load-carrying capacity and affects the overall performance of the vehicle. The tire inflation


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