[CamarosRus]

THIS IS REPRINT FROM A TIRE CORP EXECUTIVE


Subject: RMA Aged Tire Position



I want everyone to be aware that there was a program segment on ABC’s 20/20 (5/09/2008) dealing with tire aging. I am attaching some RMA (Rubber Manufactures Association) information on this subject for your review and so you will have information if the program creates questions in our customers mind and they come to you for answers.



As you will see below RMA takes the position that there is no proven age at which a tire must be removed from a vehicle. The information that RMA wants to get out is that the tire care is the most important element in the life and safety of a tire not the age of the tire...



Our organization is not experts in tire design or development of tires we depend on the manufacture to determine the safety of the product they manufacture. We are governed by the position of the Rubber Manufacture Association.



Below is an article stating RMA’s position on tire aging; you will also find information on how to read the sidewall of a tire so you will be sure as how to read the DOT serial date to determine the age of a tire.



Background:
Some people promote the idea of a tire age limit – that tires should be removed from service once they reach a certain age - either number of years from date of manufacture or number of years in service.

The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) represents the position that there is not one specific chronological age at which tires should be removed from service because there is no data that supports a specific age. For both the April 30 segment on “Today,” and the upcoming “20/20” segment, an RMA official was interviewed on tape, and parts of these interviews are being used in the news programs’ stories.

During the interviews, the RMA official stated the organization’s position on the issue, which is consistent with Goodyear’s position.
1. There is no data to support a particular year after which tires should be removed from service.
2. The reason the industry takes the position it does, is twofold:
A. Tire care is a greater factor in their safe operation than age alone; and
B. as a result of that, any suggestion that would encourage the public to believe that tires less than X years old are completely reliable regardless of tire care (or anything that would take the emphasis off tire care) would be a huge disservice.

What you need to know:
This information is for your own awareness, and for that of your store personnel. It is possible that after the segment airs on TV, some consumers may ask about the tire age issue when they visit your store. Again, the main points are these:

Age is not the key.
Consistent maintenance, proper inflation and regular inspection for tread wear patterns and damage are the keys to good tire performance
There is no data that demonstrates a tire is less safe when it reaches a certain age.
For consumers who are concerned about the age or condition of their tires, it is recommended they let a tire professional inspect the tires.



The above information is pretty much self explanatory however I would like to make sure that we all read the DOT serial “Date of Manufacture” correctly.

All highway tires produced in the year of 2000 or later will have the four numeric character DOT serial date.