On an Issue Perhaps as Important as Sarah Palin
This little post has nothing to do with Sarah Palin, with the conventions, or with the elections. Nevertheless, it is equally important, or much more important, depending on your priorities. It has to do with your life and the lives of your loved ones.
A good friend sent me a link to a video. I get so many of these that I only view a few of them. I am glad, however, that I clicked on this one:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897
It took me to a video of an ABC investigative report of July 24, 2008, “Aged Tires: A Driving Hazard.” It is a fascinating look into how many of the “new” tires we buy for ourselves or our loved ones, are not really “new,” and can cause, and have caused, numerous fatalities and injuries to unsuspecting Americans.
It describes how many tires sold as new have actually been sitting on store shelves for six, eight years, or longer and—even though they have not been driven a single mile—can, once on the highway, experience thread separation with catastrophic, tragic results.
Some may have already seen this report, but how many have actually checked the manufacture date—the video tells you how to do it—on their tires or on the tires of their “kids’” cars? I had not, but I will, right after I post this.
Sorry, no gossip, no political excitement in this one; just a tip that may save someone’s life.
Footnote: The ABC report points out a serious problem in the marketing and sales of automobile tires. But, what is even more serious, and shameful, is that, according to the ABC report, the U.S. tire industry has fought efforts to require that expiration dates be placed on tires. Also, that the U.S. Rubber Manufacturers Association continues to claim that there is no need to give U.S. drivers the same warning that British car owners have received on the danger of “new” tires that have been sitting on store shelves for more than six years.
And, as usual, our own government just sits on their collective, do-nothing hands.
8 Responses to “On an Issue Perhaps as Important as Sarah Palin”
Thank you for that, Dorian. I ride a motorcycle for 95% of my travel, so this is very important information.
Do you mean “our _federal_ government”?
We risk overdoing things by having the feds be our parent, but in this case:
We already have Uniform Tire Quality Grading standards _and_markings_ on tires; we have tire speed ratings; we have tire pressure limits on the tires; weight limits, I have seen; why not an expiration dates, too?
http://ntl.bts.gov/faq/tires.html
“Everything you need to know — your sidewall has it”
http://www.goodyeartires.com/kyt/readingATire/i…
“And, as usual, our own government just sits on their collective, do-nothing hands.”
Worse. As usual, our government continues to protect businesses from having to do the right thing, because it could be (and would be, right DLS?) portrayed as “nanny state” and “anti-business”. Dorian, they don't work for us any more.
It took years to get “best by” dates on food products for the same reason, and to require actual testing to determine expiration dates on drugs. Our government has turned into a protective mechanism for unscrupulous business rather than for consumers. The corrosive influence of money on politics.
Yes, DLS, the Goodyear site has “everything you need to know about your tires” …except of course, for the information that could save your life or that of one of your loved ones.
At the risk of being redundant, let me answer your question of “why not an expiration dates, too?” Perhaps, just perhaps, because it could save someone's life?
As GreenDreams points out, we have expiration dates on food products, so we don't get an upset stomach or some more serious ailment? Why not have it on a product that, if it fails, can cause deaths and serious injuries?
Why not at least a “manufactured date” like most computer equipment? That way you can at least know when the tire was made. No requirements to replace/sell it by X date after manufacturing, but the end-user would know if the tire had been sitting in a warehouse for years.
Thta is exactly what the issue is about. I believe some tire companies do place siuch a date (date of manufacture) on the tires, but, sometimes on the “reverse” side of the tire, and you have to crawl under the car to find it
Then a law that requires it on the front of the tire, near the PSI rating maybe. If you want to get fancy have it also required on the receipt when you purchase them. They can put the Serial Number on the receipts/invoices for the computer equipment I buy for work they can do it for tires too.
DLS will still be mad that there would be some requirements, but not “expiration” date for sales.
Where the rubber meets the shelf…