13-16
Consumer information and Reporting safety defects
form to Federal Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
& Treadwear
The treadwear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of
the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 150
would wear one and one-half (11/2) times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires
depends upon the actual conditions
of their use, however, and may
depart significantly from the norm
due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in
road characteristics and climate.
& Traction AA, A, B, C
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are AA, A, B and C. Those
grades represent the tire’s ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on spe-
cified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked
C may have poor traction performance.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on straightahead braking traction tests,
and does not include acceleration, cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction characteristics.
& Temperature A, B, C
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing the
tire’s resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled conditions on a specified indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire failure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger
car tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 109. Grades B and A
represent higher levels of performance on the laboratory test wheel
than the minimum required by law.
WARNING
The temperature grade for this
tire is established for a tire
that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive
speed, underinflation, or excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.