Menu

Tire Safety

Tire Safety

If your tires are old enough to be in first grade you need to replace them.

 

According to recent statistics 11,000 accidents a year are caused by tire failure. More than 10,000 people are killed in rollover accidents each year. In fact, 1/3 of all vehicle fatalities happen in rollover accidents. Tire failure is a major factor in rollover accidents.

 

One reason tires fail is because they are old. Tires that are six years old or older are more likely to experience blow outs than newer tires. The risk of blowout increases significantly every year over six years of age.

 

Besides checking your tire’s tread, inflation, wear, alignment and looking for lumps on the sidewalls of your tires, you should also check the date of your tires. All tires have a Department of Transportation (DOT) manufacturing code on them. Look for the four digit number on the sidewall of your tires next to the "DOT" stamp. The first two digits of the four indicate the week of the year the tire was made. The last two digits tell you the year of manufacture. So, "2115" would indicate the tire was made the twenty-first week of the year 2015. If you have a tire with a three digit code, that tire was made before the year 2000. "219" in that case would mean the twenty-first week of the year 1999 or 1989.

 

If your tires are six years old or older, you should think of "retiring" them and getting a new set. And now you know how to make sure the tire dealer is selling you younger tires.

Posted on 02/26/2018