As connected and empowered that most young adults are today, you would think they would know more about how to properly care for their vehicle. But, new survey data reveals quite the opposite is true. For example, the TPMS symbol, designed to alert drivers of low air pressure in one or more of their tires, is foreign to many drivers, underscoring the importance of your role in ensuring customer safety and maintaining vehicle system integrity.

The new study commissioned by Goodyear Auto Service and Just Tires revealed that younger drivers (those in the Millennial/Gen Z categories) are more than 1.5 times more likely to correctly identify popular emojis, than the TPMS warning symbol. In the survey of more than 1,000 U.S. drivers, 49% of younger drivers and 39% of overall drivers were unable to recognize the TPMS warning symbol, reported Goodyear, indicating they have no knowledge of what the light means or what to do when it’s triggered.

This is all the more reason for you to educate your customers about the value of maintenance. Take the time to tell them about possible causes for the TPMS light illuminating — like a tire puncture, leaking tire due to rim damage and fluctuating temperatures as seasons change. They need to know that improper tire pressure can lead to uneven treadwear, decreased gas mileage and poor handling, putting them and their passengers in harm’s way.

And, if these drivers have this degree of unawareness of the TPMS symbol alone, imagine how uneducated they are about the maintenance needs of other key vehicle systems, like the brakes, electrical system, lighting, cooling system, filters, belts and the like.

The study also found that most drivers surveyed are not taking precautionary actions to prepare their cars for winter. Less than half (42%) get their tires checked in advance of the winter season. And, almost two in five winter drivers (37%) do not take any action at all to prepare their cars for winter, unless they have an issue.

So, the writing is on the wall. You are the key driver in convincing your customers to take a more proactive role in properly maintaining their vehicles, and helping them extend the life of their vehicles by keeping them in top-running condition. You may just have to use emojis for illustration purposes.