An urgent enquiry into the safety of steel belted radial ply tyres found no statistical support for allegations against them. As far as could be ascertained, steel belted radial ply tyres, when operated correctly, are as safe as any other kind of tyre. Detailed study of tyres by a specialist tyre consultant revealed that, in spite of extensive quality control procedures, manufacturing faults sometimes escape detection, and these sometimes lead to tyre failure. Generally, tyres that fail do so because they have been mistreated; in extreme cases worn right through, in other cases run under- inflated, or grossly overloaded, or on wheels seriously out of alignment. These abuses are best met by extra care on the part of the vehicle operators. Further government control of tyre quality does not appear likely to contribute substantially to traffic safety. (Author/publisher)
Abstract