A-G used tire settlement money for public education campaign

Attorneys General are using five million dollars from Bridgestone/Firestone to launch a public education campaign about the importance of checking the pressure in the tires on your vehicle. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller says the effort’s an outgrowth of the national settlement with the tire-maker after defective tires caused dozens of S-U-V accidents. Miller says they learned that proper tire inflation is a key to preventing accidents.Iowa State Highway Patrol Chief Robert Garrison says having proper tire pressure decreases the chance of a blowout.Garrison says it’s especially important to check tire pressure during hot weather as tires don’t release the heat as well if they’re under-inflated. Garrison says you should eyeball your tires and see that they all look like they’re inflated to the same level and don’t look like they’re low.According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, up to 80 traffic deaths each year can be linked to improper pressure in tires.