Tyre wear vs tyre age
Most people are forced to replace their tyres due to wear, but there are instances where people have to do it because of the age of the tyre. But there is no accurate or even legislated guide about when this should be done, warns Mic van Zyl.
Areader, Cassie Carstens, posed an interesting and pertinent question in response to my column about nitrogen in tyres in a previous issue.
Cassie drives a sedan that’s done 43 000 km on a set of tyres fitted in October 2015. According to him, these tyres should be good for 70 00 km as he keeps them meticulously inflated to 2,2 bar, stores his vehicle in a garage day and night, and does not abuse the tyres in any way. Cassie is a pensioner and recently the “prophets of doom”, as he calls them, told him that he must replace his tyres every five years. He asks if this is necessary and what the implications are regarding insurance in the event of a tyre-related accident.
Most people are forced to replace their tyres because of wear. Folks like Cassie, however, are forced to replace their tyres because of the age of the tyres. The issue is that no accurate or even legislated guide exists as to when this should be done. While tyre wear and tyre age are easy to determine, tyre safety due to age is not.
It is an alarming fact that tyre failure due to tyre age as opposed to tyre wear is a significant cause of road deaths. You cannot deny that tyre age is as important as tyre wear. The rubber compound of tyres is affected by UV exposure, climate conditions and how the tyre is used. Even when you’re not using your tyres, the rubber compound is slowly deteriorating. Rubber is a natural compound and will start cracking with severe age. This leads to the separation of the tyre tread from the steel casing, ultimately causing the tyre to fail – often catastrophically.
Most tyre manufacturers use an antioxidation compound in the tyre rubber to slow this rate of ageing. It is important to note that this anti-oxidising agent is only released when the tyre is actually in use. Your vehicle’s spare tyre and those extra tyres you have stored in the garage for future use are getting old before their time.
I AM MINDFUL
about giving any sound advice in this instance as I have not had the opportunity to inspect the tyres on Cassie’s vehicle. Also, while we have the date of fitment for Cassie’s tyres, we don’t have their date of manufacture and that could be significantly different, adding to the actual age of the tyres.
On investigation, most of the tyre manufacturers state on their websites that their tyres are good for 10 years of service from date of manufacture. Several of them state that you should have them inspected annually after the first five or six years. In this scenario, the issue would be finding somebody to give honest, unbiased advice. Understandably, the tyre shop may not always be that unbiased. I can clearly see Cassie’s dilemma.
I would go with the recommendation of the particular brand of tyre according to their website. In the case of Cassie’s Michelin tyres, Michelin South Africa clearly states on their website that tyres should not be used past 10 years of age.
These tyres also have a warranty of up to six years from date of manufacture. It is therefore my opinion that Cassie should be able to use his tyres safely for 10 years provided he has his tyres inspected annually by an authorised Michelin tyre dealer after the first six years.
Remember to check the age of the spare as well. In general, when you buy new tyres, ensure that they are not already a couple of years “old”. Always stick to reputable brands and not cheaper alternatives. It has always been my conviction that there can be no compromise on the quality of your tyres, your brakes and your suspension. It is not only your own life at stake here.
REGARDING TYRE-RELATED
accidents, it is a given that tyres worn beyond the legal limit will get your claim refused. There is however no clear indication of what would happen should you have an accident due to tyre delamination. I would assume that should your tyres be older than the maximum stated on the tyre manufacturer’s website, you may have trouble with your claim.