Dangerous Used and Old Tires Subject of Call for Stricter Standards

A leading auto safety group is calling for used tire dealers and wholesalers to adopt stricter standards to inspect the millions of tires they sell to motorists every year. The sale of used tires is largely unregulated, and each year worn, previously repaired or poorly maintained tires cause countless accidents, many of them ending in fatalities, safety advocates say. Used tires have been the subject of growing concern by automakers and safety advocates. In December, 2006, Sean Kane, president of Safety Research & Strategies, submitted details about 108 accidents linked to tread separation of tires more than 6 years old to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Those accidents resulted in 85 deaths. Unfortunately, nationwide statistics are not available, but NHTSA has been conducting tests on new tires to determine their durability and may pursue a test this year to simulate aging. The agency will begin requiring manufacturers to print the manufacture date on tires beginning in September 2009. To date, BMW AG, Ford Motor Co., DaimlerChrysler AG, Toyota Motor Corp. and Volkswagen AG have backed guidelines that tires should only be in service six years.