- According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA,) 660 fatalities and 33,000 injuries occur every year due to tire-related problems. - Keeping your family vehicle’s tires inflated to the recommended pounds per square inch (psi) will not only save on gas, but will provide a safer ride. - It’s important to keep in mind that during the warm weather of summer, hot road surfaces can cause the pressure to increase in a tire. As a general rule, for every 10-degree rise in temperature, a tire’s pressure increases one psi. - Invest in a quality tire gauge! Eyeballing tires to measure pressure can be misleading, as radial tires often look fine even if they are under-inflated.

1. Prepare everything the night before – NO exceptions - When we are running late or have a frazzled morning, it’s almost always because we’ve said: “Eh, skip it, we’ll do it in the morning." the night before. I try to have lunches made, backpacks by the door, gym clothes bagged, folders signed, clothes (including shoes) located, and, laid out etc. even if I'm tired. I make the kids show me that everything is ready to “go out the door” before they go to bed. 2. Get ready for Monday on Friday night – Since I have self-diagnosed Sunday Affective Disorder, I’m always looking for ways to make it better. I make myself prepare lunch money, wash gym clothes and school uniforms, locate sports equipment, and, look in backpacks and folders, etc. on Friday night, so that I enjoy being ahead a bit on Sunday evening. 3. Post a list of what items are needed each day – We have an index card on the back door with a heading for each day of the week. Under each day of the week there is a complete list of what everyone needs to take out the door with them and, any after school activities that day. 4. Make a “launch pad” – we have a bakers rack with shelves for each kid by the back door where they can store items that need to go out the door with them each day. Ideally, they’d put stuff back there at the end of the day, but, well, we don’t live in an ideal world, now, do we? 5. Stick to the same routine each day – From wake-up times, to when everyone should be at breakfast, do it the same time and in the same order every day.