When NASCAR drivers take a corner at top speed, they – and their tires – experience G-forces that are just about equivalent to what astronauts feel as they’re being launched into space. So NASCAR knows a thing or two about tire performance and safety. And that’s why NASCAR driver Ryan Blaney joined Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and John Podesta, Counselor to the President at the White House on Tuesday to talk about proper tire maintenance – and he brought along his #22 Mustang and the #18 ‘M&Ms’ car to really drive the point home. Making our cars and trucks go farther on less fuel has been a key component of President Obama’s plans to combat climate change. In the President’s first term, the Administration issued historic fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks that will save consumers more than $1.7 trillion at the pump and reduce oil consumption by 12 billion barrels over the lifetime of the program. We also issued the first-ever efficiency standards for heavy-duty vehicles, like school buses and tractor-trailer trucks, which will cut carbon pollution by some 270 million metric tons and $50 billion through model year 2018. This February, the President announced that the Department of Transportation will be updating and refining those heavy-duty vehicle standards for future model years. All of these efforts will be further supported by Secretary Foxx’s announcement of a schedule for new DOT standards establishing a tire fuel efficiency consumer information program. With support from the tire industry, this ‘labeling rule’ will help consumers identify the most energy-efficient tires.(White House)(12-10-2014)
