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Don’t mess with tire pressure  

Dear Tom and Ray: 

During a safety meeting at my workplace, we were discussing tires and driving in the snow. Several folks suggested that you could get better traction in the snow by letting some of the air out of your tires. I disagreed, since it seems like this would only increase the likelihood of skidding. I told my crew I'd research this and get back to them. Can you help? — Danny 

RAY: Well, our official position is that you should not mess with tire pressure at all, Danny. And if you won't take our word for it, ask anyone who has rolled over a Ford Explorer. 

TOM: Even in theory, it's a tough question to answer, and it depends on what kind of snow you're in. Generally speaking, thinner tires are recommended for most snow conditions. Thinner tires are better able to bite down through the snow and reach the pavement for traction. That would argue for higher tire pressure, which creates a thinner tread patch. 

RAY: But if you had snow that was so deep you couldn't cut through it, you might want the widest possible tread footprint, to mimic a snowshoe. That would argue for lower tire pressure.  

TOM: Of course, there's no way you'd float a 3,000-pound automobile on top of the snow, but we're just talking theory here. 

RAY: But that theory does apply on sand. When you drive on sand, manufacturers suggest that you lower the tire pressure. You'll never cut through the sand, so you want the largest, softest footprint you can get to try to maintain traction on top of the sand. 

TOM: So what's the answer, Danny? Leave it alone. We're opposed to playing around with your tire pressure for two reasons: One is that it will hardly make a difference, in terms of snow traction. The tread pattern, the rubber compound and the condition of your tires will play much bigger roles than a few pounds of pressure either way. 

RAY: And more importantly, once you get through that situation, you'll then be driving on improperly inflated tires, and that's dangerous.  

TOM: So make sure your tire pressure is set at the level recommended by the manufacturer. And put a set of snowshoes in the trunk in case you have to walk to a phone booth and call a tow truck.  

Traditional jumper cables work best 

Dear Tom and Ray: 

I continue to see ads for battery chargers and battery jumpers that operate through cars' cigarette lighters instead of the battery terminals. I have never tried one because I'm concerned that too many amps would be flowing through the lighter, which would be a hazard. Am I right to avoid these things? — Ann 

RAY: Yes, but for the opposite reason. Not enough electricity passes through them. 

TOM: If too many amps passed through the lighter, it would blow a fuse. So these things have to trickle electricity from car to car so slowly that you could build your own replacement battery out of potatoes and twigs by the time your battery is charged back up. 

RAY: So stick with traditional jumper cables, or, if that makes you uncomfortable, there are two other good options. One is a new kind of safer jumper-cable system that is supposedly idiot-proof (although, to be honest, I have yet to test it on my brother).  

TOM: It's called Jump Star. The cables run through a computerized box that won't let any electricity flow until you have each of the connections hooked up correctly. They're quite pricey (about $100) and are available through Beverly Hills Motoring Accessories at (800) 367-2462. 

RAY: Of course, the other safe option is a good, old-fashioned emergency-roadside-service membership, Ann. Good luck.  

Rear seat headrests increase safety 

Dear Tom and Ray: 

I have a four-door, 1996 Jeep Cherokee, and I'm worried that the low rear seat, which doesn't have headrests, might be dangerous in an accident. I noticed this when my son recently went from being in a child seat (which extended up past his head) to being in the back seat without a child seat. Now his neck is just above the low seat back. Although I really like the Jeep (despite its barbaric interior), I'm concerned. I see newer SUVs, and they have two or three headrests in the back. They must be there for a reason. So, is this car safe for rear-seat occupants? Frankly, if it's not, I'll sell it tomorrow and get something else, because my family's safety comes first. But if I'm just being a paranoid lunatic, I'll keep it. — Alan 

RAY: Well, you can always do what my brother did. He left his son in a child seat until the kid was old enough to drive himself.  

TOM: You're absolutely right to be concerned, Alan. The reason vehicles have headrests is to keep passengers' necks from snapping in a collision.  

RAY: Since 1969, the federal government has required headrests on the front seats of all cars. In 1991, NHTSA (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) extended the rule to include previously exempt light trucks -- which is the category that includes the Jeep Cherokee. 

TOM: But manufacturers have never been required to put headrests in the back. Lots of manufacturers do, because it's been proven to decrease neck injuries. But they don't have to. 

RAY: So when you buy a cheap, barbaric vehicle like the Cherokee, you don't get all of the amenities you'd get if you bought something better. Jeep simply skimped on the rear headrests in this vehicle. And no, it's not safe. If you were rear-ended, your son could suffer a serious neck injury. 

TOM: Normally, you'd have three options, Alan. One would be to go to a junkyard and buy a rear seat from a Cherokee that does have the optional rear headrests. But you can't do that because, as far as we know, they were never even offered as an option on the Cherokee. 

RAY: So your second option is to find an interior customizer. Look in the yellow pages under "Van Converters." They would have the seats, the experience and the insurance liability coverage to replace your rear seat with one with a higher back. 

TOM: But your best bet might simply be to a get another vehicle. The Cherokee got a "Marginal" rating in overall crashworthiness from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. And if safety is really your primary concern, you can do a lot better, Alan.  

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