“In February 2008, the owner of a 1998 Ford Explorer in Georgia needed a
new tire for his SUV and ended up buying a used one. When he was driving two
weeks later, the tread suddenly separated from the tire. The Explorer went out
of control and hit a motorcycle, killing its rider. An analysis of the used
tire revealed that it was nearly 10 years old.
More recently, an investigation into the cause of the accident that
killed the actor Paul Walker revealed that the Porsche Carrera GT in which he
was riding had nine-year-old tires. The California Highway Patrol noted that
the tires' age might have compromised their drivability and handling
characteristics”, according to the Los Angeles Times
Many have so died untimely and every other
things could be blamed except the contact point between the vehicle and the
ground – THE TIRES!
Not sure how old your tires are, and don't have the receipt from your
last purchase? Even if you have the receipt, date of purchase will differ from
date of manufacture. Below is exactly how to find out the date of your tires or
the dates ones you are about to purchase are manufactured.
Every tire has an expiry date after which it is expected to
be changed, lest it risks a blow-out! The life span of a tire from the date of
manufacture is four years according to FRSC, other countries fix their as five,
six, seven depending on their climate, checkout tire lifespan in your country. So
know the manufacture date and from there decipher the expiry date.
Now, how do you know the date a tire was manufactured? It
is written on the tire sidewall as four digits! The first two digits represent
the week, while the last two is the year of manufacture.
Note that the four digits stand alone, not added to any
alphabet. Some manufacturers place the asterisk sign (*) before and after the
four digits, while others simply encircle it.
So, 1612 means that the tire was manufactured on the 16th
week (last week of April) in the year 2012. The tire will therefore expire on
the 16th week of 2016.
Maybe you have already bought what you thought to be "brand
new" tire which indeed has since EXPIRED or about to expire! Some people
don’t even believe that it matters – they attribute every road accident to some
witches and wizards’ activities not knowing that most of them are caused by our
actions or inactions.
Some manufacturers however don't state the date of
manufacture on their tires, breaching the estacode thereof. This is common
among the "Made in China" brands and rebranded tires which gain-seekers
had mischievously deleted.
Buying tire that doesn’t have manufacturing date is like
swallowing tablets without expiry date – great RISK. A burst tire puts the life
of all the occupants of the vehicle and other road users in that vicinity in danger!
Check your tires, have they not expired? Change them before they change your life!
Check your tires, have they not expired? Change them before they change your life!
Remain Safe, Sound & Secured
Prince
Aloy Anyanwu
The Helper
of your Joy
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