Tyre consumers in the US now have a new resource that will help them identify if a tyre is subject to a recall. The Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), a national trade association for tyre manufacturers that produce tyres in the US, launched an online search tool that will cover its member companies’ tyre recalls since 2000. RMA members represent approximately 80% of all US tyre shipments.
The announcement came during National Tire Safety Week, an RMA initiative to promote tyre care and safety.
“Consumer safety is the top priority of RMA member companies,” said Anne Forristall Luke, RMA President and CEO. “Last year, RMA led the effort to pass federal legislation to require the nation’s highway safety agency to create a searchable database of tyre recalls. Until that is done, RMA will provide consumers with an online tool to help identify a recalled tyre made by one of our members.”
The recall search tool works by entering a tyre identification number (TIN) that is found on the sidewall of every tyre sold in the US. The TIN begins with the letters “DOT.” If a tyre is subject to a recall by an RMA member, contact information is provided to enable a consumer to learn about possible remedies.
The tool also addresses a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommendation to improve consumers’ ability to identify recalled tyres. All RMA members will link to the lookup tool on their company web sites.
Federal highway legislation passed in December 2015 requires the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to create a similar tool for all tyre recalls.
“RMA is assisting NHTSA as it develops a searchable database of all tyre recalls,” Luke said, “by making the product of our work to organise the data available to the agency. Consumers, tyre manufacturers and regulators all want recalled tyres to be quickly identified and removed from service,” she added. “This tool will help accomplish this important safety goal.”