(Part A.) In the first installment of this blog discussing tire aging, tread separation and the effects they can have on your safety as you travel, Our Baytown tire defect lawyers mentioned the high-profile series of fatal rollover accidents involving the Ford Explorer and its Bridgestone-Firestone Wilderness ATX tires. Ford Motor Company, wanted to deflect attention from the Ford Explorer’s propensity for rollover in a serious accident, began to sponsor some in-depth research on the effects of age and heat on tires, and the consequent dangers of tread separation.
While the public was largely unaware of the dangerous effects of age and heat exposure on tires and of resulting dangers of tread separation, our Baytown tire defect lawyers note that the tire manufacturing industry had been aware of these problems for decades. The tire industry had sought to contain and mitigate the effects through careful design involving advances in materials composition and manufacturing techniques. Anti-oxidants were added to the mix, reduced air permeation (resulting in less oxidation and cracking of brittle tire materials), and sturdier belt edge construction (reducing the immediate effects of wear) became features of many new tires.
And these advances worked. Generally, it took longer for tire aging to result in tread separation and catastrophic wrecks. Between 1973 and 2004, the NHTSA found that the average tread life of a passenger car tire increased about 86% from 24,000 miles to 44,700 miles. So while these design changes increased the length of time you might use your tires before suffering dangerous tire failure and a wreck, they did not entirely eliminate the problem. And our Baytown tire defect lawyers caution that the dangers of tread separation from age and wear continue to be heightened for tires used in warmer climates, tires not properly inflated, and tires stored for long periods of time.
The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), however, continues to hold by its claim that tire age has no effect on the tire’s viability. According to the RMA’s position, the array of data linking tires’ age to catastrophic tread separation and resulting loss of vehicle control and crash fatalities is just a fluke. You, the driver and tire consumer, have every right to choose which side of the argument you will believe and follow. But our Baytown tire defect lawyers suggest you at least look at some of the research on tire aging effects and crash fatality statistics first.
Continued in Part B.