Does anybody actually use retreads?
Yes, nearly half the truck and bus tyres on the road in the UK have been retreaded and operate very safely. In fact, all the major tyre manufacturers without exception manufacture their tyres for multiple lives, meaning they are designed to be retreaded. Indeed many of them also operate their own retread plants in the UK.
Retreads are also used extensively on passenger cars throughout the UK - about a million of them are sold every year - not only for standard vehicles but for high performance vehicles and even for motorsport.
Retreads are also used in aviation and are retreaded many times. Every airline uses retreaded tyres and in fact over 90% of all aircraft tyres are retreads.
Can you drive at normal speeds on retreads?
Yes, of course. The idea that retreaded tyres can not be used at normal road speeds is a complete myth. All passenger retreads (with the exception of a few specialist winter and off-road tyres) are speed rated at least to S (180 kmh - 112mph) and many are rated as high as V (240 kmh - 149 mph)
Can you use retreads in winter?
Absolutely. In fact, retreaded winter tyres have been particularly successful across Europe. If you are looking for extra safety in the winter weather but feel that switching to new winter tyres is too much of an expense, then why not use a set of winter retreads. They offer excellent performance and superb economy.
How can we be confident of the quality of retreaded tyres?
Retreaded tyres have been manufactured to the requirements of a British Standard (the BS au 144 series) for many years. However, two new EC Regulations relating to the "type approval" of retreaded tyres (ECE Rulation 108 for car tyres and 109 for commercial vehicles tyres) will become mandatory in the UK with effect from January 1st 2004.
The two new Regulations, which identify uniform conditions for the approval of individual retreading facilities, effectively means that retread producers will effectively become 'licensed' operations, a move which is expected to make a considerable contribution towards ensuring that the quality, integrity and performance of retreaded tyres are, at the very least, on a par with that of new tyres. For more information on these regulations and how they will provide additional proof of the quality of retreaded tyres, please.
What about all the rubber we see on the side of motorways. Doesn't all that come from retreads?
No. This is just as likely to come from a new tyre. The fact is that the majority of tyre failures are the result of improper tyre maintenance. If tyres are not regularly checked for damage or under/over inflation there is a risk that they might fail and it doesn't matter whether they are new tyres or retreads.
A road is always less predictable in winter than in hot weather; irrespective of whether it's snowy, icy or just wet, the surface always gives relatively less grip than in summer.
Because of the specific form of a winter tyre, which is designed to displace the water passing under the tyre, a winter tyre reduces the risk of aquaplaning.
A winter tyre gives much better adherence and excellent traction, because it has a deeper tread than a summer tyre. In fact, the tread of a winter tyre has many more sipes than that of a summer tyre, for better grip on snow. A winter tyre is made of special silica rubber compounds, which are better adapted to the cold and enable better braking.
Remember :
Always remember that an icy road
Is twice as slippery as a snowy road;
Is 4 times more slippery than a wet road or one that is covered with melting snow;
Is 8 times more slippery than a dry road.
RETREADS HELP PUT OUT THE FIRES!
Retreaded tires are the tires of choice of fire departments and other emergency departments on all types of equipment, including 75 and 100 foot ladder trucks, throughout all of North America and many other parts of the world.
Thanks to retreaded tires, fire departments and other emergency vehicles are able to save money while helping to reduce the scrap tire problem and conserve valuable resources.
The safety and performance record of retreaded tires has been proven over countless miles by fire departments and emergency units in Elk Grove Village, IL, Los Angeles county, CA, Orange County, CA, Los Angeles, CA, San Miguel (San Diego county), CA, San Diego, CA, New York City, NY, Carroll county in Carrollton, GA, Grand Rapids, MI, Missoula, MT, Penticton, Trail, Rossland, Williams Lake in BC, Canada, Air Services Australia, the Israeli Police Department, the Red Mogen David (Israel), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), to name just a few. There are scores of additional public sector fire departments and emergency vehicles throughout the world saving money by using retreaded tires.
For more information about the economic and environmental benefits of retreaded tires, including a free Retread Tire Information Packet and two videos, contact the Tire Retread Information Bureau toll free from anywhere in North America at 888-473-8732, or by email: info@retread.org.
Remember :
