Road Alligators: Mean. Ugly. Dangerous

What Really Causes Them? The tire in the photograph has NEVER been retreaded Unfortunately for the retread industry, too many motorists and government legislators seem to believe retreads are the cause of tire debris (also known as Road Alligators or Rubber on the Road). But the real cause may surprise you. Read on.  "If I could snap my fingers and magically make all retreads disappear from the world, there would still be plenty of tire debris on our highways today, and it would be there next year as well," said Harvey Brodsky, Managing Director of the Tire Retread Information Bureau/TRIB, an industry association.  Most tire debris is caused by improperly maintained tires. Tires that are driven underinflated, vehicles that are driven overloaded, tires that are mismatched on dual wheel positions, failures of truckers to stop immediately and take appropriate actions when a tire problem is detected, all contribute to the problem of tire debris on our highways.  The problem of tire debris is very serious and it won't go away until truckers and other motorists begin to maintain their tires in a better fashion than they do now. This means they MUST check their air pressure on a regular basis and add air whenever their tires need it to be run at the proper level of inflation.  Most truckers and motorists aren't aware that a tire that is run 20% or more underinflated is considered a run-flat by the tire manufacturer.  All motorists should also be made aware of the importance of stopping IMMEDIATELY whenever a tire problem is detected. To try to continue to the nearest service station or truck stop is looking for trouble and can cause serious accidents, in addition to leaving tire debris all over our highways.  "Tires that are run underinflated long enough WILL come apart. It isn't a question of if, it's a question of when, and it doesn't matter if the tire is a retread or one that has never been retreaded," Brodsky added.  The retread industry recognizes the importance of educating all motorists about proper tire inflation and other important maintenance requirements in order to reduce the number of road alligators, and they are committed to continuing this education program on a regular basis.  You may  order the video, Dispelling Myths About Rubber on the Road  info@retread.org

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