Don't Blame Retreads for Rubber on the Road

Don't Blame Retreads for Rubber on the Road Contrary to what most people think, RETREADS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RUBBER ON THE ROAD according to a spokesman for the retread tire industry. "If magically, all retreaded tires were removed from all vehicles on our highways today, the amount of rubber on the road would not significantly change tomorrow", said Harvey Brodsky, Managing Director of TRIB, the Tire Retread Information Bureau.  Rubber on the road is primarily caused by tire abuse - overloading, underinflation, mismatching of dual tires on the same axle - whether the tire is new or retreaded. And practically all the rubber on the road comes from trucks. (See: The Importance of Proper Tire Inflation, ) Unfortunately, when misuse of a tire by a trucker takes place and a tire disintegrates on the highway, the average motorist who sees the fallout of the failed tire automatically blames retreads, even though the failed tire might have been new and had never seen the inside of a retread factory. It's too bad that the retread industry gets painted with a broad brush when consumers see rubber on the road. In actuality, the safety and economy of retreaded tires has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt by millions of motorists over billions and billions of miles.

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