Setting The Record Straight About Rubber on the Road

Tire Debris on our Highways Isn't Caused by Retreads According to data gathered by the Tire Debris Task Force, a group representing trucking companies, retreaders, trucking & tire industry associations, new tire manufacturers and government agencies, most of the tire debris on our highways is caused by nail punctures, something that can happen to any tire, new or retread.  This is closely followed by problems caused by underinflation, overloading, mismatching of tires on dual wheel positions and other improper maintenance and inspection procedures, again something that can occur with new tires or retreads.  "Although the public perceives retreads to be responsible for tire debris, the facts lead to quite a different conclusion", according to Peggy Fisher, President of Roadway Tire Company, Columbus, Ohio. Fisher reported that task force members and their employees recently retrieved 1070 pieces of rubber from heavy and medium truck tires. The rubber debris were collected from nine sites across the U.S.  Only 11 - or 1% - of the 1070 pieces analyzed could be attributed to retread failure. "This speaks well for retreads", said Fisher. "We in the tire and trucking industries know how good our product is and we will continue to educate the public to the fact that retreads offer the same safety and performance as new tires, but at a far lower price, and are not the cause of rubber on the road".  Portions of the above article originally appeared in TRANSPORT TOPICS. Reprinted with permission.

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