SANTA ANA, Calif., Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- WyoTech, a national leader in automotive training, is teaming up with Wal-Mart to promote tire safety, help consumers improve fuel efficiency, and encourage environmentally friendly driving. The joint promotion is part of USA WEEKEND's Make a Difference Day. The right tire pressure can save American consumers millions of dollars in fuel each year. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the average consumer can improve gas mileage by 3.3 percent just by ensuring that tires are properly inflated. "WyoTech is pleased to partner with Wal-Mart on Make a Difference Day," said John Hurd, president of the WyoTech - Sacramento campus. "WyoTech provides high-caliber automotive education and promotes economical, safe and environmentally conscious driving practices in the communities we serve." Proper tire inflation is also environmentally friendly. With approximately 250 million cars and trucks on American roads, the U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates that approximately 1.2 billion gallons of gas could be saved each year if all tires were properly inflated. Reducing gas usage can substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Environmentally friendly driving, which includes not only ensuring proper tire inflation, but also such practices as maintaining constant speed and avoiding starts and stops, can have a huge positive environmental effect. EcoDrivingUSA found that if half of U.S. drivers practiced moderate ecodriving techniques, including maintaining proper tire pressure, carbon dioxide emissions nationwide could be cut by approximately 100 million tons. "Unfortunately, the majority of consumers are not aware of how to properly maintain tire pressure," said Steve Kay, an automotive instructor at the WyoTech - Fremont campus. According to a National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration 2001 survey, 26% of passenger cars and 29% of trucks have at least one tire that is 25% below the manufacturer's required level. "Consumer knowledge about tire care is very low," Kay says. In fact, 29 million drivers believe that tires require no regular maintenance and only 11% of drivers are correctly checking their tire pressure once a month, according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA). "By partnering with Wal-Mart, we can help inform consumers about the importance of tire safety," Kay adds. Four WyoTech campuses will be partnering with their local Wal-Mart stores to conduct tire pressure safety checks and will teach customers how to check the tire pressure. The participating Wyotech campuses are: Sacramento, Calif.; Fremont, Calif.; Blairsville, Penn.; and Long Beach, Calif. About WyoTech WyoTech is a division of Corinthian Colleges, Inc., one of the largest post-secondary education companies in North America. WyoTech offers diploma and degree programs in the fields of automotive, diesel, collision refinishing, motorcycle, marine technology, as well as construction trades. In addition, WyoTech offers advanced training programs in applied service management; advanced diesel; light duty diesel; advanced automotive diagnostics; street rod and custom fabrication; motorsports chassis fabrication; high performance power trains; and trim and upholstery technology. There are currently six WyoTech campuses located across the United States. WyoTech is the Official Technical School of the NHRA and a proud sponsor of NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racer, Steve Johnson. For more information, visit http://www.wyotech.edu/. About USA WEEKEND'S Make a Difference Day Make A Difference Day, the largest national day of helping others, is sponsored by USA WEEKEND Magazine and its 600 carrier newspapers. Make A Difference Day is held in partnership with HandsOn Network and is supported by Newman's Own, which will provide $10,000 donations to charities selected by 10 national honorees. The 18th Make A Difference Day is Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008. In 2007, an estimated 3 million people participated in the day's events through thousands of projects nationwide. Sources http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/maintain.shtmlhttp://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/the_truth_about_tire_pressure.htmlhttp://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/08/mccain-on-tire-inflation.php http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS150498+14-May- 2008+BW20080514 http://ecodrivingusa.com/#/what-is-ecodriving/ Contacts: Camee Edelbrock Schiefer Public Relations 714.241.1116 - office 310.466.0915 - mobile 714.241.1258 - fax DATASOURCE: WyoTech CONTACT: Camee Edelbrock of Schiefer Public Relations, +1-714-241-1116, cell, +1-310-466-0915, fax, +1-714-241-1258, , for WyoTech Web site: http://www.wyotech.edu/

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