NHTSA Slow to Act on Hazards of Aged Tires, Critics Charge

May 13, 2008— -- Despite years of study that point to a mounting toll of deaths and injuries attributed to aged tires, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has refused to issue a warning to consumers on the issue.

"We are extraordinarily disappointed by the fact that they are saying, 'We know this is a safety problem,' but they won't tell consumers," said auto safety expert Sean Kane.

As tires age, they can dry out and become brittle, leading to potential catastrophic tire tread separations. Kane's private research firm Safety Research & Strategies has so far tracked 167 vehicle crashes it attributes to aged tires, with 192 injuries and 139 fatalities. "An old tire is like a ticking time bomb in many ways," said Kane. "You don't know what's going on inside it. That's what makes it so dangerous."

NHTSA has known about the risks of aged tires for years, and in a 2007 report to Congress the agency acknowledged that "tire aging is a serious safety issue." NHTSA's report noted that insurance statistics from a number of states showed 84 percent of tire-related claims were for "tires over 6 years old." NHTSA refused a request, however, from Ford Motor Co. to impose a six-year shelf life on tires, based on the company's independent research.

"We have rejected that notion," said NHTSA spokesperson Ray Tyson, pointing to the fact that some tire and auto manufacturers have issued their own shelf life recommendations for tires, which he said is "sufficient." Bridgestone/Firestone, Michelin and other tire manufacturers have issued bulletins recommending a 10-year shelf life for tires. Auto companies, such as Ford, Chrysler and Toyota, have issued 6-year recommendations.

Tyson said NHTSA is currently in the process of developing a federal standard on aged tires for manufacturers based on tires that have been artificially aged. "What that would do is simulate the changes, the metamorphosis that takes place in a tire over a period of time," said Tyson.