An Act To Clarify Inspection Standards Related to Vehicle Wheel Size
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0737
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: SMITH, COLLINS, MARLEY, O'BRIEN, SUSLOVIC, SAWYER
Amends: 29-A MRSA §1917

12lst MAINE LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 737 
H.P.543 
House of Representatives, February 14,2003 
An Act To Clarify Inspection Standards Related to Vehicle Wheel 
Size 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative SMITH of Monmouth. 
/Jf~ 
1?1.1l/d£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representatives: COLLINS of Wells, MARLEY of Portland, McKEE of 
Wayne, McKENNEY of Cumberland, O'BRIEN of Lewiston, SUSLOVIC of Portland, 
Senator: SAWYER of Penobscot. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §1917. as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. 
A, §2 and affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: 
§1917. 
Tires and wheels 
1. 
Definitions. 
As 
used 
in 
context 
otherwise 
indicates, 
the 
following meanings. 
this 
section, 
unless 
following 
terms 
have 
the 
the 
A. 
"Tread depth" means the amount of tread design on the 
tire. 
"Tread depth" includes original, retread and recap 
tread design and, in respect to a special mileage commercial 
tire, recut, regrooved and siped tread design. 
B. 
"Special 
mileage 
commercial 
tire" 
means 
a 
tire 
manufactured with an extra layer of rubber between the cord 
body 
and 
original 
tread 
design, 
which 
extra 
layer 
is 
designed for the purpose of recutting or regrooving, 
and 
which tire is specifically labelled as a "special mileage 
commercial tire." 
2. 
Safe tires 
required. 
A motor 
vehicle 
may 
not 
be 
operated on a public way unless it is equipped with tires in safe 
operating condition. 
A tire mounted on a motor vehicle is not 
considered to be in safe operating condition unless it meets the 
visual and tread depth requirements set forth in subsections 
and 4 and the wheel size requirements in subsection 6. 
A vehicle 
may be equipped only with tires that meet or exceed the load and 
speed rating of the original equipment tires. 
3. 
Visual requirements. 
condition if that tire has: 
A tire is not in safe operating 
A. 
A fabric break or a cut in excess of one inch in any 
direction as measured on the outside of the tire and deep 
enough to reach the body cords; 
B. 
A temporary repair by the use of blowout patches or 
boots; 
C. 
A bump, bulge or knot related to separation or partial 
failure of the tire structure; 
D. 
A portion of the ply or cord structure exposed; or 
E. 
Sidewalls damaged to the extent that the body cords are 
damaged. 
Page l-LR1082(1) 
• 
4. 
Tread depth. 
A tire is not in safe operating condition 
if it is worn to the point where less than 2/32 inch of tread 
design 
remains 
at 
all 
points 
at 
which 
gauge 
readings 
are 
required. 
Tread depth must be measured as follows. 
A. 
Tire tread depth must be measured by a tread depth gauge 
that is calibrated in 1/32 inch. 
B. 
Readings must be taken in 2 adjacent major tread grooves 
at 2 points in each of the grooves not closer than 15 inches. 
C. 
Readings for a tire that has the tread design running 
across the tire or for a siped tire must be taken at or near 
the center of the tire at 2 points of the circumference not 
closer than 15 inches. 
5. 
Exemptions. 
A 
farm 
vehicle 
used 
exclusively 
for 
agricultural 
purposes, 
including, 
but 
not 
limited 
to, 
a 
self-propelled combine, 
self-propelled corn and hay harvesting 
machine or tractor used exclusively for agricultural purposes, is 
exempt from this section. 
6. 
Wheel.s. 
If the 
r~m s~ze has been altered, the overall 
diameter of the wheel with the tire must be wi thin the vehicle 
manufacturer's specifications. 
SUMMARY 
This bill codifies 2 rules that are currently found in the 
Department of Public Safety, 
Bureau of State Police's 
"Maine 
Motor Vehicle Inspection Manual." 
This bill requires vehicles to 
have tires that meet or exceed the load and speed rating of the 
original equipment tires. 
This bill also requires the overall 
diameter of a wheel, with the tire, that has an altered rim to be 
within the vehicle manufacturer's specifications.