The 13th annual Tire Safety Week is slated to run from June 1st through the 7th. The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) created this focused week to supplement their yearlong advocacy work for tire safety awareness. The goal is to reduce crashes and fatalities in relation to poor tire safety and maintenance practices. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that approximately 9% of crashes are tire-related in some way. That includes blowout, tread separation, under-inflation, and driving on bald tires.
Tire Safety: Defective Tires On The Roads
Defective tires are also a significant problem in that consumers sometimes do not pay as much attention to tire recalls as they should. Tire safety really begins at production. Sometimes design or production defects can cause significant problems with tire safety that forces a recall. The Hercules tire recall is one such example. Statistics have shown that Load Range E tires in the All-Trac series were failing at an unacceptably high rate. The problem only increased when subject to road conditions in warmer climates after a couple years of use. The tire failure resulted in collisions, which prompted a product liability suit.
Improving Safety And Awareness
The key to improving tire safety for everyone is to raise awareness among drivers on how important proper maintenance is. Automobiles feature a sticker on the inside of the driver’s doorframe that includes important information on the type of tires and expected parameters for them. Underinflated tires are not only responsible for poor fuel consumption, but they may blowout while in use. Blowouts on the highway can lead to serious accidents that could harm or kill a driver, passengers, or other commuters on the road.
Proper tread depths allow the tire to grip the road correctly in a number of different weather scenarios. Hot and cold weather both have their own idiosyncrasies about them in relation to their affect on tire rubber and the road asphalt. Depth of the tread should be at least 2/32″ for proper grip. An easy way to measure tread depth is with a penny. The top of the penny to the top of Lincoln’s head is the right distance. Simply insert the penny into the tread and if Lincoln’s head is covered at all; your tires still have proper tread. Anything below that and it’s time for new tires.
The Impact Of Faulty Tires Or Poor Maintenance
Tire failure is a contributor in a fair number of accidents on our streets and highways. If tire failure was a contributor to an accident that harmed you or a loved one, consider contacting Attorney Group for a consultation. The tires that affected you or your loved ones may fall into a legally actionable area either through negligence or product liability.
