Safety is a top priority when a new baby arrives in the family, but new research commissioned by Michelin North America, Inc. (Michelin), indicates parents are overlooking a critical safety gap when it comes to hitting the road with their most precious cargo. The overwhelming majority of car-​owning parents surveyed say their children's safety is important to them, but only about a third (37%) claim to have checked their tires to ensure they are safe.

This action gap is particularly alarming because tires provide the vehicle's only contact with the road surface once brakes are applied. In fact, Michelin estimates that during their lifecycle a set of tires may enable as many as 90,000 stops, both unexpected and intentional.

According to AudienceSCAN, 45.9% of Parents of Preschoolers want to make purchases that help them feel safe this year, and inspiration for how to accomplish this can come from unexpected places. These parents are active on many social media networks, including Facebook (83.5%), YouTube (62.9%), Instagram (49.7%) and Twitter (40.4%). Social media tends to have a big influence on this audience. In fact, they're 33% more likely than other adults to find advertising on social media useful.

Carl Nadeau, professional race car driver and Michelin driving expert, encourages new parents to consider the role tire care plays in their family's on-​road safety.

"As a father of two, I know the lengths parents go to keep their children safe, but it's easy to overlook tire maintenance when you're busy with a new baby," Nadeau said. "All tires are worn from the moment they are installed. Life happens on worn tires, which is why wear and pressure should be checked regularly. We rely on tires to stop safely every time, over time. Of course, starting off with a quality set of tires counts for a lot."

Choosing the right tires is an important part of child-​proofing a vehicle to make sure its ready to take the road this spring. But tire inspection and maintenance cannot be ignored. There are a few simple safety checks that can help new parents protect their precious cargo:

• Check your tires for wear: Using the "Quarter Test'', put the Quarter head first into your tread. The top part of the figurehead should be partially covered by the tread. If you can see the whole head, it's time to replace the tire.
• Check the air pressure: Tires can lose up to one psi (pounds per square inch) of pressure every month. Use a proper pressure gauge to check pressure when tires are cold (before driving or three hours after driving). Make sure your tires are inflated to the pressure that's listed on the sticker inside the driver's door of your car.
• Keep five years in mind: After five years or more in use, your tires should be thoroughly inspected at least once per year by a professional.

Auto service centers and tire retailers can advertise the safety new tires bring to families through digital ads. According to AudienceSCAN, last year, 58.9% of Parents of Preschoolers took action after seeing ads on daily deals sites such as Groupon, 58.3% were driven to action by either ads received via text or ads they saw on their mobile smartphone apps and 56% were motivated by email ads. They're also 39% more likely to click on text link ads on websites. That's not to say traditional ads aren't also effective. Last year, these consumers were driven to action by TV commercials (67.3%), direct mail ads (64.7%) and both over-​the-​air and digital radio ads (55.9%).

AudienceSCAN data is available for your applications and dashboards through the SalesFuel API. Media companies and agencies can access AudienceSCAN data through the AudienceSCAN Reports in AdMall.