Tire Danger what the tire industry is refusing to tell you.

[Jayco1]

Tire Danger what the tire industry is refusing to tell you.

Tire Danger what the tire industry is refusing to tell you.

Tire Danger: The Cryptic Code That Could Save Your Life

Dozens of Deaths Attributed to 'Ticking Time Bomb' Aged Tires That Look Safe But Aren't
By BRIAN ROSS, JOSEPH RHEE and ASA ESLOCKER

May 8, 2008"”

The U.S. tire industry is refusing to give American motorists the same warning given to car owners in Europe and Asia about the possible dangers of tires six years old or older.

More than 100 deaths in the U.S. have been attributed to aged tires which dried out and lost their treads, even though they appeared to be safe, according to Sean Kane, who heads a private auto safety firm and consults with the federal government.

With no warning from the industry or the federal government, safety experts say the only way for consumers to protect themselves is to learn how to read the cryptic code embedded on a tire's sidewall which reveals the year and week a tire was manufactured.

A full report on how to break the code will appear Friday on the ABC News program "20/20."

The code is at the end of a jumble of letters and numbers on the tire and, until recently, was on the inward side of the tire requiring motorists to climb under the car to read the number.

For example, the number 418 indicates the tire was manufactured in the 41st week of 1998 and is 10 years old.

"U.S. consumers are left in the dark on this issue," said Kane.
A tire older than six years old, even if it's never been driven a mile, "is like a ticking time bomb. You don't know what's going on inside. That's what makes it so dangerous," said Kane in an interview for broadcast on "20/20."

Watch the full report on "20/20" Friday at 10 p.m. ET.
Members of the British Rubber Manufacturers Association, which include Goodyear, Firestone and Michelin, warned in 2001 that "unused tyres [sic] should not be put into service if they are over 6 years old."

The U.S. tire industry association, representing many of the same companies, says it has no plans to issue a similar warning.

"There's no scientific information that can point to when a tire should be removed because of age," said Dan Zielinksi, of the U.S. Rubber Manufacturers Association, who maintains that age is not the key factor in tire safety and performance. "You need to look at the totality of the tire's service life or its storage conditions to make that decision."

But safety experts say there is extensive research showing tires begin to deteriorate in "critical" ways even if they remain unused or unsold in store inventories.

In most cases, a visual inspection or check of tread depth will not reveal the problem, the experts say.

The Ford Motor Company has urged the federal government to adopt a six-year expiration date, citing "comprehensive research" and "defendable data driven by analysis."
Ford, BMW, Chrysler, Toyota and VW/Audi now carry warnings about aged tires in manuals given to car owners.

Even some tire companies have begun to issue warnings. Bridgestone/Firestone, Michelin and Continental now recommend that tires older than 10 years should not be used, even if they appear safe by visual inspection.

Click Here for the Investigative Homepage.

Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4813029&page=1

[Jayco1]

Tire Danger what the tire industry is refusing to tell you.

Tire Danger what the tire industry is refusing to tell you.

Tire Danger: The Cryptic Code That Could Save Your Life

Dozens of Deaths Attributed to 'Ticking Time Bomb' Aged Tires That Look Safe But Aren't
By BRIAN ROSS, JOSEPH RHEE and ASA ESLOCKER

May 8, 2008"”

The U.S. tire industry is refusing to give American motorists the same warning given to car owners in Europe and Asia about the possible dangers of tires six years old or older.

More than 100 deaths in the U.S. have been attributed to aged tires which dried out and lost their treads, even though they appeared to be safe, according to Sean Kane, who heads a private auto safety firm and consults with the federal government.

With no warning from the industry or the federal government, safety experts say the only way for consumers to protect themselves is to learn how to read the cryptic code embedded on a tire's sidewall which reveals the year and week a tire was manufactured.

A full report on how to break the code will appear Friday on the ABC News program "20/20."

The code is at the end of a jumble of letters and numbers on the tire and, until recently, was on the inward side of the tire requiring motorists to climb under the car to read the number.

For example, the number 418 indicates the tire was manufactured in the 41st week of 1998 and is 10 years old.

"U.S. consumers are left in the dark on this issue," said Kane.
A tire older than six years old, even if it's never been driven a mile, "is like a ticking time bomb. You don't know what's going on inside. That's what makes it so dangerous," said Kane in an interview for broadcast on "20/20."

Watch the full report on "20/20" Friday at 10 p.m. ET.
Members of the British Rubber Manufacturers Association, which include Goodyear, Firestone and Michelin, warned in 2001 that "unused tyres [sic] should not be put into service if they are over 6 years old."

The U.S. tire industry association, representing many of the same companies, says it has no plans to issue a similar warning.

"There's no scientific information that can point to when a tire should be removed because of age," said Dan Zielinksi, of the U.S. Rubber Manufacturers Association, who maintains that age is not the key factor in tire safety and performance. "You need to look at the totality of the tire's service life or its storage conditions to make that decision."

But safety experts say there is extensive research showing tires begin to deteriorate in "critical" ways even if they remain unused or unsold in store inventories.

In most cases, a visual inspection or check of tread depth will not reveal the problem, the experts say.

The Ford Motor Company has urged the federal government to adopt a six-year expiration date, citing "comprehensive research" and "defendable data driven by analysis."
Ford, BMW, Chrysler, Toyota and VW/Audi now carry warnings about aged tires in manuals given to car owners.

Even some tire companies have begun to issue warnings. Bridgestone/Firestone, Michelin and Continental now recommend that tires older than 10 years should not be used, even if they appear safe by visual inspection.

Click Here for the Investigative Homepage.

Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=4813029&page=1

[Ray,IN]

We RVers have been discussing this for nearly two years now. It's on most tire companies website, and states it in warranty details.
At least now the entire country knows, not just RVers.

[SeeTheUSA]

I watched the report on 20/20 last night --- VERY IMPORTANT information. Went right out, flashlight in hand, and looked at the date code on all the tires on all three of our vehicles. Whew - we're good!

Will NEVER buy tires again without checking the date code.

[ronharp]

This was being discussed on RV forums as long ago as 1999 when I bought my first RV.

Ron

[Brigadoon]

I don't think there's anything new here. It was just recently "discovered" by ABC News.

[Route 66]

It was an accurate but sensationalized report.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> Date Codes: Every tire has a date code stamped on the sidewall, which gives the date that the tire was manufactured. They look something like this: DOT PDHH MLOR 3403. The date code can be on either side of the tire, so you may have to crawl underneath the rig and look on the inward facing side. The date code always starts with the letters DOT and ends with a 3 or 4 digit number. That last number is the date code, which tells you when the tire was manufactured. The first two numbers indicate the week (out of 52) and the last one or two digits indicate the year. For instance, 3403 means the 34th week of 2003, or the last week in August 2003. Starting with the year 2000, the date codes have two digits for the year, prior to that, only one. A date code of 079 would indicate the seventh week of 1999, or the third week of February 1999.

Tires deteriorate with age, even when sitting on a shelf, so always ask to see the date code when you purchase new tires and insist on tires manufactured within the last few months. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[digNbubbs]

I love media sensationalism!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
Tire Danger: The Cryptic Code That Could Save Your Life </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
"The first two numbers indicate the week (out of 52) and the last one or two digits indicate the year." Wow - get out my secret decoder ring for this one!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
More than 100 deaths in the U.S. have been attributed to aged tires
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
100 deaths!! Per hour? Week? During the last fiscal year? Could it be the same rate of deaths as infection caused by hang nails?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">...
A tire older than six years old, even if it's never been driven a mile, "is like a ticking time bomb. You don't know what's going on inside. That's what makes it so dangerous," said Kane in an interview for broadcast on "20/20."

Watch the full report on "20/20" Friday at 10 p.m. ET. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ah. All of this just for us to tune in to 20/20. I suppose this is a lot sexier than saying "You should check the dates on your tires. Watch 20/20 to see how to do this".

While the end message is indeed true, I despise how the media feels it is necessary to employ such tactics to get viewers/buyers of their transmissions. I guess the biggest shockers sell the most. Sucks that we are that kind of audience.


--kevin

[Tom and Patty]

Next up!!!!

How old is that steak you are grilling tonight .

What the Beef Industry isn't telling us!!!

What a bunch of BS.

I rarely watch the news or read a paper anymore just because of that type of reporting.

If I need news, I can get it right here Probably more accurate too

[Tom N]

Here's is a tire related news article from this mornings local newspaper.

Proponents say fill your tires with nitrogen

The financial pressure motorists are experiencing at the pump might be eased by filling up with a different type of gas -- nitrogen.

The colorless, odorless and tasteless gas doesn't go into the tank. It's for the tires.

Replacing the air in vehicle tires with nitrogen can increase fuel mileage by as much as 6 percent and extend tire life, proponents say. They say nitrogen provides more stable pressure within the tire, which can save fuel.

"We've offered nitrogen as an option since around 2005, but with gas prices being what they are, it isn't a hard sell at all," said Alan Matta of Highland Tire in Natrona Heights, Harrison. "It's really starting to catch on."

In the Pittsburgh area, the cost of filling a tire with nitrogen is about $5.

Matt Struhar of Natrona Heights has become a believer.

"After switching to nitrogen a couple of years ago, I started getting much more life out of my tires," said Struhar, 36, who drives about 70,000 miles a year for his job in medical sales.

"Tires that needed to be replaced after about 60,000 miles now last me 80,000 miles," he said. And while he doesn't keep meticulous records on fuel economy, he believe he's getting more miles per gallon.

Dave Hill of Sarver put nitrogen in the four tires he bought Friday with the hope of improving gas mileage.

"I drive a lot, so if I can get even a small increase in gas mileage and tire life, I think it will be worth the investment," Hill said.

Skeptics think the benefit of switching to nitrogen is a lot of hot air.

"I think it's more hype than anything," said Steve Wade of Wexford Tire and Service in Pine. "There's been some studies, but I'm not convinced that it's worth the investment in equipment to offer it."

Some tire dealers say there are other ways to get the results that nitrogen promises.

"Most of the air that leaks out of tires are the result of corrosion on the rim and faulty valve stems," said John Stickley, manager of Whitehall Tires for Less in Whitehall. "I think you can get the same fuel savings and longer tire wear just by being diligent about using a tire gauge."

Since little hard science exists on the fuel economy nitrogen can provide, some fleet operators are doing their own studies.

Lorraine Szyms, assistant director of Palm Tran, the transit system serving Palm Beach County, Fla., said she had heard about the benefits of nitrogen but couldn't find much information to back up the claims.

She said state officials were intrigued by the possible benefits and gave her agency a $65,000 grant in January to buy equipment to convert the tires on the system's 138 buses.

"We'll be monitoring over the course of the year and provide the state with a report," Szyms said. "In addition to saving money, we're hoping it will help us be a more 'green' operation by reducing the amount of fuel and tires we use."

The fact that few vehicle fleets in the United States use nitrogen doesn't mean they haven't given it consideration.

"We investigated it, but ultimately decided that launching an aggressive preventive maintenance program that includes paying close attention to tire inflation would give us the same results," said Jim Miske, head of fleet maintenance for A. Duie Pyle trucking in Chester.

Source: Valley News Dispatch

[Route 66]

Tom, Tom, Tom...........why did you bring this up again?

[TXiceman]

The tire age is not new to RVers, but probably is to the rest of the world.

As for nitrogen for your tires, I canot believe the increased life and mileage claims....Meadow Muffins.. Air is mostly nitrogen to begin with. If you are running race cars or airplanes, nitrogen is a pretty good idea, but on a normal car or truck...I don't think so.

The nitrogen issue is a pretty good way for places that "sell" air to get a littler deeper into you pockets. Along the lines of most of the bottled water. Why pay extra for water in a plastic bottle when you can get it right ot of the tap at a much lower cost.

Ken

[Route 66]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The nitrogen issue is a pretty good way for places that "sell" air to get a littler deeper into you pockets. Along the lines of most of the bottled water. Why pay extra for water in a plastic bottle when you can get it right ot of the tap at a much lower cost. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

First it was "designer" water, now "designer" air.

[Tom N]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Route 66:
Tom, Tom, Tom...........why did you bring this up again? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The article is filled with so much miss-information it's laughable. But some of the general public, maybe the elderly and those that are gullible, will believe it because they read it in the newspaper. At $5 a tire most tire shops will be happy. And there will be those that swear they absolutely get better gas mileage.

-Tom