Tragic Ellenton Accident Sheds Light on Tire Safety

A recent accident on I-75 in Ellenton claimed the life of 35-year-old Shakia Peterson, her unborn child, and 14-year-old Roderick James while injuring six other children who were passengers in the vehicle, one of them critically. A 2003 Ford Explorer driven by Peterson’s husband, 45-year-old Freddie James, started spinning and then flipped over after the left rear tire failed according to reports.

This is a horrible tragedy that is extremely sad and we sincerely feel for the victims’ familiy and friends. However, we do want to take this opportunity to shed some light on a practice by the tire sales industry that may be putting us all at risk.

A “20/20″ and ABC News undercover investigative effort that was aired a couple of years ago revealed some shocking and dangerous facts about the tire business. Some major retailers around the country, including Sears, Walmart, and Goodyear retail outlets were routinely selling tires that were anywhere from seven to 12 years old as “new.” It is true that they hadn’t been used, but studies show that tires are prone to drying out over time, increasing the risk of roadway failure. The Ford Motor Company has suggested that tires that exceed six years of age should no longer be sold.

Of course some tire manufacturers don’t support such limits. Jim Davis from Goodyear told ABC that “We don’t support age-based limits on tires because there’s no scientific data to support that.”

Yet, in addition to Ford, BMW, Audi, Chrysler, and Toyota contend that tires should not be used any longer than six years after they were originally manufactured. In spite of Goodyear’s stance, other major tire companies, Michelin among them, instruct their retailers not to sell tires that are nearing ten years of age.

The bottom line here is that it may on the surface sound alarmist, but the recent fatal Ellenton accident confirms the fact that the condition of your tires can truly be a matter of life and death. When buying tires, directly ask the salesperson to tell you when they were manufactured and ask them to prove it to you. Every tire has a Tire Identification Number that includes the date of manufacture. Also, make sure that you regularly inspect your tires once they are in use, and follow all recommended maintenance procedures. When you see the kind of heartbreak that tire failure can cause, an ounce of prevention is clearly worth a pound of cure.

If you have been involved in an accident that may have been caused by a tire defect, please contact us at 727-848-8892 to schedule a free consultation.