Safe Wheels? States Launch Crackdown on Sale of Aged Tires

April 14, 2009— -- From Hawaii to New York, states across the country are moving to regulate the sale of aged tires, which experts say can prove deadly to unsuspecting motorists. Lawmakers have credited an ABC News investigation that revealed how outdated tires, even if they appear to be brand new, can be more prone to sudden, catastrophic failure.

"The story's impact has been very widespread," said auto safety expert Sean Kane of Safety Research and Strategies. "It's probably the single most important story that's been done on this issue."

Safety experts warn that after six years of age the risk increases for tires to become brittle and dried out, leading to a potential tire tread separation. "It is like a ticking time bomb," said Kane. "You don't know what's going on inside, that's what makes it so dangerous."

Safety experts have attributed 139 deaths nationwide to aged tires that failed. Among those killed was 12-year-old William Moreno of Los Angeles, CA, whose family's SUV rolled over after the tread on an aged tire separated.

In the wake of Moreno's death, California Assembly Member Mike Davis has introduced a bill that would require tire dealers to disclose the age of a tire in writing to consumers prior to the sale or installation of a tire. Dealers would also be required to retain sale documents for at least three years, and violators of the proposed law would be subject to a $250 fine. At a hearing today in Sacramento, witnesses including Sean Kane and the brother of William Moreno will testify on the bill's behalf.

In the 2008 ABC investigation, our undercover tire shoppers found tires well over six years of age being sold by major retailers. Davis credited the report with highlighting how consumers are kept in the dark regarding the age of the tires they buy.

"My staff member working on the bill happened to have seen it and was inspired by it, and felt that this was an issue that she wanted to research and bring to the attention of the legislature," said Davis.

In New Jersey, the division of Consumer Affairs is also considering a rule that would require dealers to disclose the age of tires to buyers.