AAA Thinks Car Companies Should Put Back Spare Tires
By Paulo Acoba
After an extensive study, AAA Insurance found that they’d rather have drivers have a spare tire than an inflator kit.
In a bid to strip as much weight from a vehicle as possible, a good number of car manufacturers opt to switch the spare tire and jack for an inflator kit and temporary air-compressor to compensate. Oftentimes saving somewhere between 20-30 pounds, any weight lost technically will see gas savings across a manufacturer’s entire lineup. But according to the AAA insurance, it would be in the best interest of the drivers safety to forego that weight and gas savings and just throw in a spare tire and ditch the inflator kit altogether.
You’d think that all the advances in tire technology from run-flat tires and tire pressure monitoring systems would’ve had a significant decrease in the amount of flat-tire calls that AAA receives, but according to AAA,
"Each year, AAA receives more than 4 million calls related to flat tires. Despite tire and technology improvements, including tire pressure monitoring systems, there has not been a decline in flat‐tire related calls in the last five years."
More from Art of Gears
- 3 Reasons the 2024 Mazda CX-50 Is Among the Best Small SUVs
- The Jeep Renegade Is Discontinued: Here’s a Look at Its Legacy
- 2023 Nissan Armada: A Decent Full Size SUV With 1 Glaring Issue
- Best Minivans: 3 Options for Families With Solid Performance
- Here’s Why the 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E Is So Popular
In addition, from 2006-2015, the percentage of cars running without spare tires has increased from 5 percent to 36 percent for new model year vehicles. That means that according to AAA call statistics, more drivers are left to deal with their flats using inferior inflation technology.
Adding to the case for the regular spare tire is the fact that the cost to repair a tire using a tire inflator kit “can be as much as 10 times greater than using a spare tire” as a tire pressure monitoring sensor and the kit itself might have to be replaced.
Finally, although a tire inflator kit worked as advertised for most flats, some flats resulting from sidewall damage or blowouts, can’t be fixed with the manufacturer supplied kits.
Next: 10 Tips And Tricks That Will Save You Gas Money
AAA brings up some very valuable takeaway points from this popular trend that’s becoming more commonplace on new vehicles. Maybe it’s time for manufacturers to consider engineering a lighter spare tire or just throwing in the ol’ spare as a $0 option to allow them to reap the EPA benefits without skimping on the safety of the driver in the long run.
H/T- Green Car Reports