WHEREAS, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) currently has safety standards relating to new and retreaded tires for passenger cars and new tires for trucks, but has not addressed retreaded tires for trucks; and

WHEREAS, previous attempts to petition NHTSA to issue this safety standard have been unsuccessful; and

WHEREAS, there continues to be a noticeable increase in the frequency of separated rubber tread and casings from commercial vehicle tires observed on the highways; and

WHEREAS, a significant number of traffic crashes and injuries have been identified as being caused by other vehicles striking commercial vehicle tire rubber on the highway; and

WHEREAS, police officers and maintenance personnel are placed in a vulnerable position when removing this debris from the highway; and

WHEREAS, the motor carrier industry experiences huge variances in the reliability and life of properly maintained retreaded tires obtained from different manufacturers; and

WHEREAS, a University of Michigan study showed approximately 60 percent of tire scraps collected nationwide were from retreads; and

WHEREAS, the efforts of the Federal Highway Administration to address this issue with the industry have been unsuccessful in alleviating the problem; now therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the IACP supports the development and adoption of a safety standard for retreaded tires for trucks, and petitions the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to ensure that this is accomplished.