News

The Bridgestone/Firestone tire recall not only brings the lethal risks of badly made tires into clear focus, it also raises the troubling question of whether consumers generally have any defense against such defects.

Tire industry experts say that American motorists are generally far too complacent about tire quality—that when buying tires, they seldom take into consideration easily obtainable information about important design characteristics.

Every tire sold in this country must comply with the Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 109, as well as a separate set of standards established by the industry itself. These standards are encoded on the sidewall of every tire sold in America in the form of temperature, speed, load, traction and tread-life ratings.

To be sure, the standards are antiquated and in some cases compromised by different interpretations at different companies. Major tire manufacturers are currently trying to align European, American and Japanese standards through the TransAtlantic Business Dialogue trade policy group.

An important thing to remember is that compliance with government and industry standards is certified by the industry itself—without government oversight. At one time, federal inspectors conducted periodic audits of tires to guarantee that they met the standards stamped on their sidewalls. But even those selective inspections have long since been discontinued, according to industry officials.

Motorists' ability to trust the integrity of tire manufacturers is therefore paramount. Our lives depend on that.

Although greater international coordination and new, modern standards are needed, consumers also must be more aware of existing standards. Even the cheapest tires are supposed to meet the minimum government standards. Is that good enough?

Every tire must meet tests for temperature, traction and tread life under Standard 109. And every tire is rated for speed, load and dimension under industry standards set in this country by the Tire and Rim Assn.

Temperature ratings-designated C, B and A, with A being best-indicate a tire's ability to withstand heat, which can undermine structural integrity. The greatest threat to a tire is heat buildup.

A C rating is given if a tire can withstand a test that runs it on a machine against a steel roller at 50 mph for two hours, 75 mph for half an hour, 80 for half an hour and then 85 for yet another half-hour. The test was devised in 1968.

Written on Sunday, March 6, 2016 by Permalink |