A few weeks ago, The Mark Casto Law Firm, PC published a blog on tired tires. Let’s recap 25,000-45,000 miles is approximately how long tires can travel before they reach their halfway point.
You would like that tire life simply depends on how many miles that they have traveled— if you think that, this new information might take you by surprise. The longer the tire travels the less durable it becomes. The chemical change it undergoes is called oxidation. Basically what that means is the tire components are exposed to oxygen and the oxygen causes the flexible components of a tire to harden and become brittle. Over time the tire will fall apart with normal stress.
This is a natural process. For that reason alone, even if a tire is not being used, just stored as a spare or at a store, it will still weather away and become weak. For those of you that weren’t science majors (me included!), heat accelerates the oxidation process.
In hotter climates, like ours in Georgia, oxidation is a far more serious factor than the tread when it comes to tire life. This hazard is not very known so let me show you how to tell. There is an 11 digit code on your tire that will tell you everything you need to know.
According to the Rubber Manufacturers Association, a large body of evidence supports that most tires should be replaced six years from the date they were manufactured. This date begins from the day the tire was manufactured at the plant, not the date you bought the tire. We have included a graphic of the manufacturers that support this claim below.
Failure to maintain health tires can lead to injury and even death. So next time you get into your car, be sure to check the date AND tread life! The Mark Casto Law Firm, PC wants you to be as safe as possible while on the road this holiday season.