The Tire Retread Information Bureau is fighting proposed legislation that would prohibit the use of retreaded truck tires on Florida highways. On Thursday, Jan. 25, Florida State Sen. Victor Crist introduced Bill S912 prohibiting the “use of recapped or retreaded tires on truck tractors, pole trailers or semitrailers operated on public roads, streets, or highways of this state.” If passed, the act will take effect July 1.
“On behalf of the entire retread industry, and especially Florida retreaders, we believe this bill would greatly impede the retread and trucking industry in Florida and would create havoc with out-of-state trucks coming into Florida,” TRIB Managing Director Harvey Brodsky wrote in an e-mail sent to Crist and the media Friday. Jan. 26.
“We assume you have introduced this bill because of the large amount of tire debris found on Florida highways,” Brodsky wrote. “If this is the case, we certainly understand your concern, and in fact, our industry shares it. The Tire Retread Information Bureau spends an enormous amount of time and resources to educate truckers and other motorists about the importance of properly maintaining their tires.
“We do this because the true cause of tire debris on highways everywhere is improper tire maintenance,” Brodsky continued. “Tires that are improperly maintained — underinflated, overloaded, mismatched on dual wheel positions, misaligned — will fail and come apart, given enough time, and it doesn’t matter whether the tire is a retread or one that has never been retreaded.
You might be interested to learn that much of the tire debris on Florida highways comes from tires that have never been retreaded,” Brodsky wrote. “To blame retreads for tire debris on our highways is the same as blaming a vehicle for an accident caused by a drunk driver. The blame is simply misplaced, and to outlaw the use of retreads on Florida highways falls into the same category.”
To read S912, click here.
