Watered down Tread Act has 4 years

[Q45tech]

"NHTSA has decided to adopt the proposed speeds of 140, 150, 160 km/h (87, 93, 99 mph) for P-metric and LT tires. These speeds represent a substantial increase in the level of stringency from the test speeds currently used in FMVSS No. 109 and 119 for which tires are tested at 75, 80, and 85 mph for 30 minutes at each speed. This approach more closely mirrors the upper limit of real world operational speeds in the United States beyond which drivers have few opportunities to operate their vehicles.

Drivers in the U.S. do not typically operate their vehicles at speeds above 100 mph. Maximum speed limits on U.S. highways range from 55 to 75 mph. Some vehicle manufacturers, e.g., GM and Ford, electronically restrict most of their vehicles top speeds at approximately 106 mph. NHTSA also believes that an upper test speed threshold of 160 km/h (99 mph) ensures a minimum level of safe operation that is 25-30 mph beyond typical speed limits on interstate highways in the U.S"

Chicken way out: "As discussed in the Tire Safety Information final rule, the agency neither requires nor prohibits that tires be labeled with a speed rating. Additionally, we do not prohibit vehicle manufacturers from specifying that consumers purchase replacement tires labeled with the same speed rating as the OE tire.

"The final rule contains different, less burdensome test parameters than those in the NPRM. The estimated failure rate for currently produced tires was 33% for the parameters in the NPRM. For the parameters adopted in this final rule, the rate is 5% to 11%. Additionally, the average tires that failed the tests in the final rule did so at a later point in the tests or failed during inspection after the tests were completed. This indicates that, in addition to the decreased failure rate, the degree of failure is less for tires that fail when tested to the parameters in the final rule as compared to those that failed when tested to the parameters in the NPRM"

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/...ref20

[Q45tech]

So 4 years from now [June1,2007] you can probably be assured that the tires you buy will not fail in 30 minutes at 99 mph on a 100F day when brand new.

The durability test will also mean that they can survive 8,000 miles of use.

Pretty good specs for a Corrolla/Pinto

You didn't know that your life was worth $5 Million:

The agency anticipates that between 5 percent and 11 percent of the combined sales of P-metric and LT tires will not pass the adopted tests. There are an estimated 287 million light vehicle tires sold of which 5 to 11 percent might increase in price by $0.25 to $1 per tire. The overall annual cost for new original equipment and replacement tires is estimated at $3.6 million (287 million tires x .05 x $0.25) to $31.6 million (287 million tires x .11 x $1) and the net costs per equivalent life saved will be about $5 million based on the mid-point of cost and discounted benefits estimates.