"Recently there has been considerable discussion about the 'tire industry average' for property damage claims rates on tires," says Donald Shea, president and CEO of the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA).
"It is important to realize that there is no accepted industry average for property damage claims per tire line.
"Property damage claims and the associated claims rate have not, do not and can not define the safety of a tire."
Tire manufacturers define and handle damage claims differently, according to the RMA. "Property damage claims are handled internally within the companies.
"Presenting a tire industry average property damage claim rate and suggesting that this rate is a measure of tire safety is unsupported by facts and is doing a great disservice to the motoring public," Shea says.
