WASHINGTON (May 21)—The three smallest U.S. tire makers say they will be devastated if new recall-prompted safety regulations become law. Specialty tire makers Hoosier Racing Tire Corp. and Specialty Tires of America Inc. said the cost of complying with the new standards would force them to discontinue product lines. Denman Tire Corp. went further, saying the rules could run it out of business.
The three independent companies are petitioning the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to exclude low-volume specialty and bias-ply tires from the proposed federal tire safety standards included in the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation Act, known as the TREAD Act, which followed the massive Firestone tire recall. The companies want the tires to be governed by existing regulations.