SACRAMENTO—California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law a bill that forbids the installation of unsafe used tires on vehicles within the state.
California Assembly Bill 949 prohibits auto repair facilities from installing used tires that fail to meet specific safety criteria for highway use.
Dealers must inspect used tires to make sure whether they are safe, the USTMA said in a Sept. 10 news release.
AB 949 follows the guidelines of model legislation developed by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association.
An unsafe used tire, according to the USTMA guidelines, is one that:
- Has 1/16 inch of tread depth or less;
- Has damage exposing steel belts or other internal components;
- Has been repaired improperly; or
- Has sidewall bulges indicating possible internal damage.
"In a state as large and as focused on transportation as California, highway safety is especially important, and preventing the installation of unsafe used tires is vital to the protection of California motorists," said Anne Forristall Luke, USTMA president and CEO.
California is the fourth state to pass a USTMA-supported used tire bill, after Colorado, New Jersey and Ohio. Arizona has also passed an unsafe used tire bill, but it was not based on USTMA model legislation.
The Texas legislature also passed the USTMA used tire bill, but Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed it.