Pep Boys Helps Motorists Become Safer Drivers with Free Air Pressure Checks During National Tire Safety Week

PHILADELPHIA (Business Wire EON/PRWEB ) April 12, 2007 -- Recognizing that underinflated tires are responsible for automobile crashes that result in 660 fatalities and 33,000 injuries each year, The Pep Boys – Manny, Moe & Jack (NYSE: “PBY”), the nation’s leading automotive aftermarket retail and service chain, will promote National Tire Safety Week April 22-28 in partnership with the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA). During this weeklong event, Pep Boys will aid motorists in ensuring their tires are in safe, proper condition; offer drivers free tire air pressure checks; and distribute tire safety materials.

Although Pep Boys emphasizes tire safety year-round, participating in a week of awareness promotions that highlight the importance of proper pressure, alignment, rotation and tread allows us to remind our customers of our commitment to providing top-quality tire care, safety and maintenance services

“Although Pep Boys emphasizes tire safety year-round, participating in a week of awareness promotions that highlight the importance of proper pressure, alignment, rotation and tread allows us to remind our customers of our commitment to providing top-quality tire care, safety and maintenance services,” said Pep Boys’ Senior Vice President of Parts & Tires Mark Page.

“We are proud to have certified service experts available in our stores seven days and six nights a week to advise and educate customers about tire safety practices related to the many lines of name brand and house brand tires our service centers carry,” said Pep Boys’ Senior Vice President of Service Joe Cirelli.

Caring for tires is extremely important and relatively easy. In fact, Pep Boys and the RMA recommend getting in the habit of taking five minutes every month to check your tires, including the spare. Here are some useful guidelines that motorists can follow to play their PART and Be Tire Smart.

Pressure

Underinflation can lead to tire failure. It results in unnecessary tire stress, irregular wear and possible loss of vehicle control or accidents. A tire can lose up to half of its air pressure and still not appear to be flat. The best way to check tire pressure is with a properly working analog or digital tire gauge, available at Pep Boys. A bonus: The U.S. Department of Energy reports that properly inflated tires can improve gas mileage up to 3.3 percent.

Alignment

A bad jolt from hitting a curb or pothole can throw your front end out of alignment and damage your tires. Have a tire dealer like Pep Boys check the alignment periodically to ensure that your car is properly aligned.

Rotation

Regularly rotating your vehicle’s tires will help you achieve more uniform wear. Unless your vehicle owner’s manual has a specific recommendation, a good guideline for tire rotation is approximately every 6,000 to 8,000 miles.

Tread

Advanced or unusual wear can reduce the ability of the tire to grip the road. Visually check your tires for uneven wear, looking for high and low areas or unusually smooth areas. Also check for signs of damage.

In addition to offering free tire air pressure checks year-round, Pep Boys is one of the leading sellers of replacement tires in the United States and Puerto Rico. Every tire purchase at Pep Boys includes free mounting, a manufacturer’s warranty against material and workmanship defects, free brake inspection*, free shock and strut inspection and tire rotation every 5,000 miles.

*See store for details.

About the RMA

The Rubber Manufacturers Association is the national trade association for the rubber products industry. Its members include more than 100 companies that manufacture various rubber products, including tires, hoses, belts, seals, molded goods, and other finished rubber products. RMA members employ over 120,000 workers and account for more than $21 billion in annual sales.

About Pep Boys

Pep Boys has 593 stores and more than 6,000 service bays in 36 states and Puerto Rico. Along with its vehicle repair and maintenance capabilities, the Company also serves the commercial auto parts delivery market and is one of the leading sellers of replacement tires in the United States. Customers can find the nearest location by calling 1-800-PEP-BOYS or by visiting pepboys.com.

Editor’s Notes: Crash statistics provided courtesy of the National Highway Transportation Administration. The following Pep Boys tire experts are available to conduct live interviews and demonstrations in Philadelphia:

Jack MacDonald, Pep Boys’ Director of Training and Development. He is responsible for the training and professional development of Pep Boys’ 19,000 sales and service center associates and the overall organizational development of the Company. MacDonald, who has also served as Pep Boys’ director of service operations, came to the Company from Sears, Roebuck and Co., where he served in a variety of roles, including field management positions and leadership of training and fleet sales in the automotive business. Prior to joining Pep Boys, he held the position of associate buyer – tires, responsible for managing buying relationships with tire vendors including Michelin, Kumho, Cooper, Yokohama and Pirelli. MacDonald has appeared as a guest on the ESPN program “Cold Pizza” and on Philadelphia TV stations as a tire and summer driving prep subject matter expert.

Mark Page, Pep Boys’ Senior Vice President of Parts and Tires. Page is responsible for inventory selection, purchasing and vendor relationships for Pep Boys’ hard parts and tires categories. He has over 31 years of experience with Pep Boys – beginning his tenure in store operations – and has been a senior vice president with the Company since 1993. Page has been a certified master technician and a master medium/heavy-duty truck technician in his career. Page has appeared on The Nashville Network’s DIY show “Ready for the Road” as a service expert.

Greg Russ, Pep Boys’ Eastern Assistant Divisional Vice President – Service. He supports the Eastern Divisional Vice President – Service in all day-to-day service operations, including managing sales initiatives and customer service for 170 stores in the Northeast, from Illinois to Maine. Russ has more than 30 years of experience with Pep Boys and has served in a variety of progressively responsible positions throughout his tenure. He has been a strong supporter of Pep Boys’ participation in National Automotive Service Professionals Week, honoring outstanding mechanics and technicians in the organization. Russ is certified by the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) as a master technician, and also holds ASE parts specialist and service consultant certifications. He has appeared on Philadelphia televisions stations as a seasonal car care expert.

Terry Winslow, Pep Boys’ Eastern Divisional Vice President – Service. Winslow is responsible for service bay operations, customer service and operational logistics and planning for 170 stores in the Northeast, from Illinois to Maine. He has more than 20 years of increasing responsibility in all aspects of retail management including operations, human resources and training and development. Throughout his extensive career at Pep Boys, he has served the role of vice president of Human Resources, director and then assistant vice president of Operations Administration, regional operations manager, district manager and store manager. Winslow has played an instrumental role in building a culture of trust at Pep Boys, recruiting new teams of ASE-certified mechanics, technicians and master technicians and putting programs in place to ensure the next generation of Pep Boys service professionals is highly trained.

Additional Pep Boys spokespersons are available for interviews and demonstrations in the following markets:

New York
Los Angeles
Chicago
Philadelphia
San Francisco
Dallas/Ft. Worth
Boston
Washington D.C.
Atlanta
Houston
Tampa
Miami
Orlando
Pittsburgh
Baltimore

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