Jamie Kitman’s article, “MG’s Old Motto: ‘Safety Fast.’ MG’s New Motto: ‘Get Me to Safety, Fast,’” in the October issue of Automobile contained a very derogatory and unfair mention about retreaded tires.
He wrote, "…with not so much as your Calvins to come between you and the shredded retread that a truck could at any moment launch directly at your head."
My guess and hope is that he did not set out to malign the retread industry, but that is exactly what he did and that points to careless reporting since much of the tire debris on our highways comes from tires that have NEVER been retreaded and there is ample evidence to back up this statement. To any readers, including Mr. Kitman, who doubt this, I ask that they don’t take my word for it but read an interesting study (one of many) http://www.retread.org/Government/index.cfm/ID/224.htm.
Most tire debris on our highways is caused by improper tire maintenance, plain and simple, with the single biggest cause being underinflation, followed closely by overinflation, mismatching of truck tires on dual wheel positions, improper tire repairs, tires driven with less than the legal amount of tread remaining and misaligned vehicles. Tires that are improperly maintained will fail and come apart given enough time, throwing rubber all over the highway, and it doesn’t matter if they are retreads or have never been retreaded.
To blame retreads for rubber on the road is the same as blaming a vehicle for an accident caused by a drunk driver. The blame is simply misplaced.
Retreads have a safety record comparable to the best new tires are are safely used by millions of vehicles worldwide, including school buses, municipal buses, fire engines and other emergency vehicles, commercial and military airlines, taxis, race cars, small package delivery services such as FedEx, UPS and the U.S. Postal Service and many other types of commercial and private trucks and cars. It is a safe bet to state that most copies of your magazine are delivered by trucks using retreads. New tire manufacturers including Bridgestone, Goodyear and Michelin to name a few, are very strong proponents of retreaded tires as are some of the largest and best run fleets in the world. If they didn’t know that retreads were as safe and reliable as new tires they would never endorse or use them, but they do which is a strong endorsement for retreading.
Retreads are also far more environmentally friendly and economical than comparable new tires. There is even a federal Executive Order (13149) mandating the use of retreaded tires on many federal fleet vehicles. Retreads may look round and black, but they are the greenest tires you will ever see!
For any of your readers, including Mr. Kitman, who would like to receive a free Retread Tire Information Packet including a CD & 2 DVDs, we invite them to contact us toll free at 888-473-8732 or by email to: [email protected]. The packet includes a great booklet about the true causes of rubber on the road.
In the interest of editorial accuracy and fairness I hope you will print this letter so your readers can have our side of the story.
Harvey Brodsky
Managing Director
Tire Retread & Repair Information Bureau/TRIB