"Why is tyre age a crucial factor to determine drivability?"
"Hankook Tyres Reading, c ( 650+ words)"
[ "Why is tyre age a crucial factor to determine drivability?For years, people have relied on depth to determine when a tyre should be replaced. If a "penny test" goes through the round, they assume that the tyre still lives, no matter how old that may be a fateful mistake. Old tyres, no matter the depth of tread, are dangerous. While no federal safety guidance is available if a tyre is too old to be safe, many car manufacturers recommend replacement six years from the production date.In fatal accidents, old tyres were the culprit. Two examples are here:In 2008, Ford Explorer's 1998 owner in Georgia required a new SUV tyre and purchased one. After two weeks, the tread split suddenly from its tyre. The explorer left control and struck a motorcycle and killed his rider. A more recent and high profile example showed that the Porsche Carrera GT that he was riding on had 9-year-old tyres, in the investigation into the cause of the 2013 accident that murdered actor Paul Walker. According to the Los Angeles Times, the California Highway Patrol noted that the age of the tyres has affected their drivability and handling.The potential hazard of acquiring used tyres and driving on ageing tyres, including those never spent the day on the road, is illustrated in these incident situations. Without the condition of the tread, the rubber compounds in a tyre deteriorate with time.Old tyres may never be a problem for some people. A tire's tread will wear out within two to five years, long before the rubber compound does if you drive a typical number of miles somewhere between 12,000 and 15,000 miles annually. But if you're driving a lot less or you're driving a car only on weekends, ageing tyres can be a problem.What does a tyre like the ages happen?Safety Research & Strategies Inc. Chairman Sean Kane compares an ageing tyre to an old rubber band. "You're going to see cracks in the rubber if you take a rubber band thats long sitting around," says Kane, whose organisation engaged in public safety research, analyses and advocacy, and customers, including lawyers, engineering firms, supplier companies, media outlets and governmental authorities.Cracks in the rubber of a tyre start to grow over time, both within and on the surface of the tyre. This crack can ultimately separate the tread from the rest of the tyre by means of the steel curves. The process is accelerated by improper maintenance and heat.Over 250 incidents in which tyres over six years old and older had a tread and strip break have been identified by Kane and his organisationmost of which lead to loss of control and rollover collisions. In 2012, 233 deaths and 300 injuries were caused by these incidents.Any tyre on the way that is long enough is going to fall into age. The pipes rated for higher distances are made from rubber compounds with antiozonant chemical compounds that slow the ageing process, but nothing stops the time effect on rubber.What is the length of a tyre?In their opinions about the life span of a tyre carmaker, tyre maks and rubber manufacturers differ. NHTSA has no specific guidelines on tyre ageing and defers the Carmaker and tyre manufacturer recommendations. The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA).Many car manufacturers such as Ford, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz tell their owners, whatever their lives, to replace tyres six years after their production date. Tire manufacturers such as Michelin and Continental say that a tyre may last up to ten years if an annual inspection of a tyre is done after the fifth year.More about each of these factors is available here:Heat: Research at NHTSA has found that in warm climates tyres age faster. NHTSA also found that the process of ageing could be accelerated under environmental conditions, such as sun and coastal climate exposure. People in coastal and other warm-weather areas should take this into account when determining whether or not to pull out a tyre.Storage: A Hankook Tyres Reading that is not installed and only sitting in a tyre shop or in the garage will age slower than that which is placed on a car. However, it is ageing." ]