Report on an investigation of the high speed hazards of steel belted radial tires on police patrol cars.

At least two police fatalities and one permanent disability were caused by catastrophic failures of steel-belted, radial-ply tires during high speed police operations. More than 200 other failures were reported by one State highway patrol department. The report concludes that general-use tires, whether steel-belted radial, fabric-belted radial, bias ply, or bias belted, are not suited to high speed use. It recommends that police departments use for high speed patrol only those models that tire manufacturers have tested and certified for use at speeds of at least 125 miles per hour. Tires of all four types are available for such use.