Defective Tires

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Tire Safety Ratings

The federal government mandates that all tire manufacturers provide consumers with tire safety ratings. These tire safety ratings allow comparison of different tires based on grades for a tire’s tread-wear rate, traction performance, and temperature resistance. Known as the Uniform Tire Quality Grading System (UTQGS), these tire safety ratings allow consumers to compare different products when purchasing new tires.

Tire safety ratings can be helpful when making relative comparisons between new tires. However, these ratings do not guarantee safety, how well a tire will perform, or how long the product will last. There are a variety of factors which determine the safety and integrity of tires, including the quality and frequency of tire inspections and maintenance, personal driving style, the type of vehicle driven, road conditions, weight bearing capacity, and the like.

The first component of government-mandated tire safety ratings is the tread-wear grade. The tread-wear grade can give a relative indication of a tire’s relative wear rate. Again, wear depends on a number of other factors such as tire pressure, tire rotation, alignment, shock integrity, and weight bearing levels. In terms of the tire safety ratings, the higher the tread-wear grade the longer it should take to wear down.

The second component of tire safety ratings is the traction grade. The traction grade gives consumers a relative indication of a tire’s ability to stop on wet pavement. Traction tire safety ratings are administered as letter grades- AA being the best traction and C being the worst. When considering traction tire safety ratings, it is important to consider road factors. For example, larger vehicles that operate in rain or snow conditions will require more frequent tire inspections and replacements because traction and tread is lost at a greater rate, compromising tire safety.

The third aspect of tire safety ratings is the temperature grade which indicates a tire’s resistance to heat. When tires reach higher pressures, they deteriorate at a faster rate, leading to tire blowouts and tread separation. Road and driving factors such as long trips in hot weather can expose tires to higher temperature conditions. There are three temperature grades possible in tire safety ratings- A, B, and C- from best to worst.

Another component of federal tire safety ratings is a set of standardized information required on the sidewalls of all tires. This provides a tire identification number for safety standard certification and in case the tires are recalled. This information also provides consumers with details about the fundamental characteristics of the tire including: tire width, the aspect ratio, the wheel or rim diameter, the tire’s load index, mud and snow capacity, speed tire safety ratings, tire pressure amounts, the composition of the tire, and the maximum load rating. Even when a consumer makes a decision based on quality tire safety ratings and follows all inspection and maintenance recommendations, tire safety is still not guaranteed. Large numbers of tires have been recalled due to dangerous defects in design and production.

If you are concerned about tire safety ratings, you may wish to contact a qualified attorney who can advise you of your legal rights and options.

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