Aged Tires: A Driving Hazard?

This is an interesting 9 minute video on how older tires, sold as brand new in the US, can be a hazard to the vehicle. It was part of an ABC news show last month.

abcnews.go.com...

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I am a qualified British ministry of transport, class 4 (cars) nominated tester and I've never, ever been shown, told, otherwise informed of what that number meant.

it is not (as far as I'm currently aware) part of the MOT test. This is the first I've heard of this and i feel this to be a very important matter.

But, of course, you can only imagine the uproar this issue would make if it became common public knowledge.

Firstly, the tyre manufacturers would have to comply with further rules and regs, so would MOT test centres and so would vehicle owners.

Then there is the environmental issue. It's bad enough that we have mountains of used tyres already, so what's to be done with all the un-used tyres that are currently sat on shelves waiting to be sold as 'brand new'

This stinks of corporate greed for profit and the loss of lives is just a small measure in comparison to the money these companies are making.

Excellent find..this issue should be highlighted further.

For anyone interested in the British MOT test and what items are covered on vehicles, then check out the MOT testers manual.
Anyone can buy the genuine manual direct from the ministry of transport. This manual is a great help to those interested in the safety and road worthiness of their vehicle(s).

Please be aware that there are issues relating to some points of law-vs-mot test that are called 'grey areas' by most mechanics and testers, but the ministry stands firm in saying there are no grey areas, yet I, and many others, see conflicts in both almost every day.

Thanks for that post! I enjoyed watching that clip.

I used to be a traffic accident researcher (USA)… and I was trained to look for this code. It is not hard to find. Anybody can do it after watching this video, in fact. I think it is good info for people to have. I don't think that it's really been hidden from the public, as they seem to imply, although that might make an interesting conspiracy theory!

I thought the approach was a little bit sensational (well, that’s investigative reporting for you). But there was some good information in there, and if it causes more people to be careful to buy better (newer) tires then that’s a good thing. Our tires are VERY important. All forces that act on a car work through those small footprints, those little patches of rubber that contact the road. I think the more care and attention you pay to your tires is bound to be rewarded in safety and performance.

Tires do age differently. That has a lot to do with how the tires are used, as well as how they are stored before they are used… In a dark warehouse, fairly cool temperatures and inside plastic? Those are good conditions. Were the tires you bought stored that way? Who knows!

Heat cycles and sunlight (the reason tires are black) kill tires. Oil loss dries them out. Some racers use tire softening compound. It does soften them – whether it puts oil back in the rubber I haven’t a clue. I notice that a lot of folks buy tire covers for their boat trailers, RVs, etc… tires that are outside year round. I think that’s a good idea too.

Thanks,
1080

My oldest boy got a set of off road tires for his new truck,despite of what we told him he left them on,till one day had a blow out,caused 5k worth of damage,destroyed front bumper and fender damaged door really bad,so no pay the extra and buy new tires,tires do have expiration dates