Tire Discounters Inc. is among the tire dealers in Ohio celebrating the state legislature's passage of S.B. 223, which prohibits the installation of unsafe used tires.
Jamie Ward, president of Tire Discounters, is also on the board of the Ohio Tire & Automotive Association (OTAA). He's been working with the association for several years to remove unsafe tires from roadways.
“This consumer protection bill is long overdue. It will prevent countless injuries and fatalities caused by unsafe tires.” says Ward.
The bill awaits Gov. John Kasich's signature. It defines an unsafe tire as anything with less than 2/32 inch tread depth.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that tires at 2/32 inch are three times more likely to be involved in a crash than tires with sufficient tread depth. NHTSA crash statistics indicate that about 200 fatalities and 6,000 injuries are attributed to tire-related causes annually.
“Every Tire Discounters associate is trained on tire safety because our customers trust us to keep them safe," says Crissy Niese, senior vice president and chief customer officer for Tire Discounters. "We’re installing customer education in our stores so that customers can see the difference in stopping distance as tire tread is worn down. It’s shocking to see the difference between 2/32 inch and 5/32 inch tread depth. It’s easy to see how unsafe tires can lead to accidents.”
For more information on Tire Discounters, visit www.tirediscounters.com.
