SENIOR SENATE FEDERAL PROPOSAL NO. 5

INTRODUCED BY SENIOR SENATOR HARTMANN

(COAUTHOR: SENIOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER GLASMEIER)

 

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SFP 5: TIRE SAFETY IDENTIFICATION

EXISTING LAW PROVIDES FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT AND ENFORCEMENT OF VARIOUS PRODUCT SAFETY STANDARDS FOR CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INCLUDING, AMONG OTHERS, REQUIRING SPECIFIED WARNING LABELS ON CERTAIN CONSUMER PRODUCTS.

THIS MEASURE WOULD MEMORIALIZE THE CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT TO ENACT LEGISLATION THAT WOULD REQUIRE TIRES ON VEHICLES OF 10,000 POUNDS OR LESS TO INCLUDE SPECIFIED INFORMATION REGARDING THE TIRES THAT IS EASILY READABLE AND WOULD REQUIRE TIRE SELLERS TO INCLUDE SPECIFIED INFORMATION ON THE TIRE SALES RECEIPT.

VOTE: MAJORITY.

 

SFP 5: RELATING TO TIRE SAFETY

WHEREAS, THIS MEASURE SHALL BE KNOWN AS THE “ROTTEN RUBBER RESOLUTION”; AND

WHEREAS, SENIORS, AFTER RETIRING, ON AVERAGE, DRIVE LESS THAN OTHER AGE GROUPS, AND THEREFORE, THEIR TIRES ARE MORE LIKELY TO AGE-OUT OR ROT-OUT BEFORE WEARING OUT. THUS, TIRES THAT APPEAR TO BE SAFE AND HAVE SUFFICIENT TIRE TREAD MAY ACTUALLY BE DANGEROUS, BECAUSE THEY ARE AGED-OUT AND ROTTEN. OLD VALVE STEMS IN TIRES ARE ALSO SAFETY HAZARDS BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN REPLACED IN CONJUNCTION WITH A FRESH SET OF TIRES. ROTTEN SPARE TIRES IN NEW CONDITION APPEARANCE ARE ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS; AND

WHEREAS, CURRENT LAW REQUIRES TIRES TO BE STAMPED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AGE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS AND COLD TIRE PRESSURE POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH INFORMATION ONLY ON ONE SIDE; AND

WHEREAS, PROPER TIRE INFLATION IS IMPORTANT TO PREVENT TIRE FAILURE BLOWOUTS, AND PROPER INFLATION ALSO GIVES AS MUCH AS 6 PERCENT BETTER GAS MILEAGE IN SOME VEHICLES WHICH IS A MAJOR FACTOR IN THE CURRENT QUEST FOR LESS DEPENDENCE ON FOSSIL FUEL. THUS, FOR MANY REASONS ACCURATE INFORMATION THAT CAN BE EASILY SEEN REGARDING PROPER TIRE PRESSURE IS IMPORTANT; AND

WHEREAS, CURRENT LAW DOES NOT REQUIRE A LARGE, MORE READABLE FONT SIZE FOR DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION MANUFACTURING DATE AND TIRE PRESSURE SPECIFICATIONS; AND

WHEREAS, OFTEN, TIRES ARE MOUNTED WITH THEIR IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS ON THE HIDDEN SIDE OF THE TIRE, UNDERNEATH THE CAR, RATHER THAN ON THE OUTSIDE, MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO READ THE INFORMATION; AND

WHEREAS, THE THREE TOP PRIORITY SAFETY INFORMATION FACTS NEED TO BE PHYSICALLY LISTED ON TIRES FOR DRIVER SAFETY:

1. THE DATE OF TIRE MANUFACTURE CONTAINED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION DESIGNATION ON A TIRE’S SIDEWALL IS ESSENTIAL FOR DETERMINING THE DATE OF TIRE MANUFACTURE. EXPERTS IN TIRE MANUFACTURING AND SALES VARY IN RECOMMENDED YEARS OF TIRE USAGE - OPINIONS ON LENGTH OF SAFE TIRE USAGE RANGE FROM FOUR YEARS TO AS MANY AS 10 YEARS. ALL EXPERTS AGREE THAT KNOWING THE DATE A TIRE WAS MANUFACTURED IS IMPORTANT FOR SAFETY REASONS.

2. A DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TIRE PLANT IDENTIFICATION NUMBER IS NEEDED IF TIRES ARE RECALLED AND THE DEFECTIVE TIRES NEED TO BE IDENTIFIED BY TIRE OWNERS.

3. A MAXIMUM POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH COLD AIR PRESSURE RECOMMENDATION IS NEEDED TO PROPERLY ADJUST TIRE PRESSURE. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 20 PERCENT OF THE TIRES ON THE ROAD ARE UNDERINFLATED, A MAJOR CAUSE OF TIRE FAILURE. ALTHOUGH THE INFORMATION REGARDING TIRE INFLATION LISTED IN THE OWNER’S MANUAL AND PLACARDS ATTACHED TO THE CAR’S BODY IS ACCURATE FOR THE ORIGINAL TIRES ON THE CAR, INFLATION NUMBERS ON THE TIRES BOUGHT AFTER THE ORIGINAL TIRES ARE REMOVED ARE THE MOST CURRENT AND ACCURATE. DEPENDING ON THE TIRE BRAND, SIZE, AND STYLE, THE INFLATION SPECIFICATIONS LISTED ON THE CAR’S DOOR, FRAME, OR GLOVE BOX MIGHT NOT BE THE SAME AS THE NEWER TIRES. THE TIRE INFLATION MARKINGS RELATED TO THE TIRES THAT ARE ACTUALLY ON THE VEHICLE BECOME VERY IMPORTANT AND SHOULD PROBABLY SUPERSEDE OTHER MARKINGS RELATED TO TIRES ON THE CAR; AND

WHEREAS, RECENT MEDIA INVESTIGATIONS HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THE DANGER OF TIRE DEALERS SELLING NEVER USED “NEW” TIRES THAT HAD BEEN MANUFACTURED AS LONG AS 12 YEARS AGO. THIS PRACTICE OF SELLING OLDER MANUFACTURED TIRES THAT HAVE BEEN REPRESENTED AS NEW NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO THE BUYER’S ATTENTION, ESPECIALLY LOW MILEAGE SENIOR DRIVERS. RETAIL TIRE DEALERS ALSO NEED TO REVEAL TIRE MANUFACTURE DATES TO CONSUMERS FOR SAFETY AND FINANCIAL REASONS; AND

WHEREAS, REQUIRED DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NUMBERS AND INFLATION NUMBERS SHOULD BE LARGE AND ON BOTH SIDES OF TIRES BECAUSE SENIORS’ EYESIGHT AND ABILITY TO CRAWL UNDER THEIR CARS IS LIMITED; TIRES ARE ROUTINELY MOUNTED WITH THE TIRE INFORMATION NUMBER FACING TO THE INSIDE WHICH MAKES THEM UNABLE TO BE READ BY THE OWNERS. INFORMATION PRINTED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TIRE WOULD
PREVENT THIS PROBLEM; AND

WHEREAS, if IS ESTIMATED THAT THE COST OF LARGER NUMBERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TIRES WOULD ONLY ADD ONE CENT TO THE MANUFACTURING COSTS, THUS MAKING THE MONETARY IMPACT NEGLIGIBLE TO TIRE MANUFACTURERS AND CONSUMERS; AND

WHEREAS, CONSUMERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW THE AGE OF TIRES THEY ARE PURCHASING, AND THE DATE OF MANUFACTURE SHOULD BE LISTED ON THE SALES RECEIPT FOR EASY ACCESS WHEN THE CONSUMER NEEDS TO REFER TO THE AGE OF HIS OR HER TIRES. IN ACTUAL PRACTICE, WHEN A CUSTOMER BUYS A NEW SET OF TIRES, A TIRE SELLER COULD SIMPLY LIST THE SIX DIGIT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NUMERAL ON THE RECEIPT. THIS GIVES THE TIRE PURCHASER THE TIRE MANUFACTURER’S IDENTIFICATION NUMBER AND THE DATE OF TIRE MANUFACTURE. THE FIRST TWO NUMERALS ARE THE TIRE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS AND THE NEXT FOUR NUMERALS ARE THE WEEK AND YEAR MANUFACTURED. THUS, THE LAST FOUR NUMERALS 1206 WOULD INDICATE THE TIRE WAS MANUFACTURED THE 12TH WEEK OF 2006. HAVING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NUMBER ON THE TIRE SALES RECEIPT WOULD MAKE CHECKING THE MANUFACTURE AND AGE OF A TIRE A SIMPLE TASK OF PULLING OUT A FILE FOLDER AND CHECKING THE TIRE RECEIPT. THIS INFORMATION WOULD ALSO BE USEFUL WHEN A MANUFACTURER ANNOUNCES A TIRE RECALL; AND

WHEREAS, FULL SERVICE GAS STATIONS ARE BEING REPLACED BY SELF-SERVICE GAS STATIONS, THUS REQUIRING SENIORS TO BE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE STATUS OF THEIR TIRES;

AND WHEREAS, SINCE HUNDREDS DIE EACH YEAR DUE TO UNDERINFLATED TIRE FAILURE AND DEGRADED, ROTTEN “AGED OUT” TIRES, MANUFACTURERS AND CONSUMER ADVOCATE GROUPS KNOW THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NUMERALS AND TIRE PRESSURE NUMERALS ARE ESSENTIAL CONSUMER INFORMATION. IT IS ONLY A LOGICAL CONCLUSION THAT THE CONSUMERS, ESPECIALLY SENIORS, SHOULD BE ABLE TO READ THE INFORMATION WITHOUT USING A FLASHLIGHT AND MAGNIFYING GLASS AND CRAWLING UNDER THEIR CARS; AND

WHEREAS, SINCE MOST TIRE AUTHORITIES RECOGNIZE THAT THE FONT SIZE USED ON TIRES IS TOO SMALL, A MINIMUM FONT SIZE OF 6MM OR 1/4 INCH WOULD BE A PROPER MINIMUM SIZE FOR READABILITY PURPOSES, AND ONE-HALF INCH HIGH LETTERS WOULD BE OPTIMUM; AND

WHEREAS, THE TIRE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER ISSUE MAINLY INVOLVES PASSENGER CARS AND LIGHT TRUCKS, THIS PROPOSAL WOULD BE DIRECTED TOWARDS VEHICLES WEIGHING 10,000 POUNDS OR LESS; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED, BY THE SENIOR SENATE AND THE SENIOR ASSEMBLY, JOINTLY, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AT ITS 2010 REGULAR SESSION, A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS VOTING THEREFOR, HEREBY RESPECTFULLY PROPOSES THAT THE CONGRESS AND PRESIDENT ENACT LEGISLATION TO MANDATE THAT ALL TIRES OF VEHICLES OF 10,000 POUNDS OR LESS BE REQUIRED TO LIST THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NUMERALS REGARDING THE MANUFACTURING OF THE TIRE AND THE TIRE PRESSURE NUMERALS ON BOTH SIDES OF TIRES WITH A FONT SIZE AT LEAST 6MM OR 1/4 INCH IN HEIGHT FOR READABILITY, AND TO REQUIRE TIRE SELLERS TO LIST THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NUMERALS ON THE CUSTOMER SALES RECEIPTS; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT THE SENIOR LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RESPECTFULLY MEMORIALIZES THE CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT TO FURTHER ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD ADDRESS THE CONCERNS SET FORTH IN THIS MEASURE; AND BE IT FURTHER

RESOLVED, THAT A COPY OF THIS MEASURE BE TRANSMITTED TO THE PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT, THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE CHAIRPERSONS OF THE HOUSE AND SENATE COMMITTEES ON AGING, AND TO EACH SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE FROM CALIFORNIA IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.

RN 10 13520

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