Two New Tires -- Safety on a Budget

Reported November 2008

RALEIGH, N.C. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- The next time someone installs tires on your vehicle, watch closely. The method they choose could steer you into a dangerous situation. Researchers have found three out of four people don't know where two new tires should be placed on a vehicle. It's a question of safety that even sparks debate among tire experts.

Larry Augustine knows a lot about tires. He installs nearly 30 every day, which adds up to more than 7,000 tires ever year. He's often asked to put two tires on at a time.

"If it's a front-wheel-drive, we usually put them on the front of the car," Augustine told Ivanhoe. "That's where all of the action is."

A lot of his customers, like minivan owner Ted Wernikoff, follow his advice.

"I was told they should be put on the front, and until I'm told differently, I will probably do that," Wernikoff told Ivanhoe.

Michael Wogalter, Ph.D., an ergonomist at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., knows exactly where the tires should go -- and it's not on the front.

"The main reason for putting them on the rear as opposed to the front is because of the potential of oversteer and hydroplaning situations," Dr. Wogalter told Ivanhoe. "Oversteer literally means the rear tires slipping out and is more of a sharper turn than is intended."

That means if the front tires lose control on a wet road, the driver should be able to feel the hydroplane more and may be able to react.

"In the other situation -- when the rear tires slip -- it's much more difficult to control," Dr. Wogalter said. "Sometimes, it's impossible to control."

The idea of losing control on the road is enough to change Wernikoff's way of thinking.

"I have no reason to argue with the latest research," Wernikoff said. "If that's the way they found from the studies that it should be done, I will do it that way."

Thanks to ergonomics, you and your family can have a safer ride.

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

Michael S. Wogalter, PhD
Director
Cognitive Ergonomics Laboratory
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-7650
(919) 515-1726
Wogalter@NCSU.edu

Lois Smith
Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
Santa Monica, CA 90406
(310) 394-1811
http://www.hfes.org
lois@hfes.org

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