Alaska Winter Tire Bills Faces Tough Road

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Posted on 6th March 2010 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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A bill that would have required Alaska residents to use winter snow tires has received a stormy reception in the Far North. http://www.tirebusiness.com/subscriber/headlines2.phtml?cat=1204552929&headline=Alaska+legislator+seeks+support+for+bill+mandating+winter+tire+use&id=1267799240#

The bill, sponsored by Rep. John Harris, R-Valdez, had one hearing before the Transportation Committee of the Alaska House of Representatives Feb. 19.

But Valdez has postponed a second hearing that had been set for Feb. 25 on the bill, which has drawn phones calls, FAXs and letters to the editor from its opponents. Harris is trying to rally support for the legislation.

The bill mandates that Alaska drivers either have studded tires or those with a mountain-snowflake symbol between Dec. 15 and March 15, starting Dec. 15, 2011.

During the first hearing, one presentation said that about 90 percent of Alaska residents use all-weather or summer tires in the winter, even though studded tires cause a 10 percent decrease in winter road accidents. In 2007 some 6,600 auto accidents, or 63 percent of the accidents in Alaska that year, took place in the winter.

Worn, Mismatched Tires Likely Lead to SUV’s Rollover

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Posted on 18th February 2010 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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We’ve made a crusade of warning the public of the care that must be taken with their tire placement, and here’s another incident that bears us out.

Authorities in Port Saint Lucie, Fla., were blaming mismatched tires on an SUV with causing the vehicle to roll over, ejecting several children. Luckily, the victims didn’t sustain any critical injuries. See http://www.cbs12.com/news/lucie-4724233-port-turnpike.html

In the accident, a man was driving his 1997 Ford Explorer with five kids, all younger than 13, on the Turnpike.

His right rear passenger tire blew, he lost control of the SUV and it rolled over several times.

Three of the children were thrown out of the vehicle. They were hospitalized, but did not sustain any serious injury.

Authorities said that the tire that failed was a different brand than those on the SUV’s other three wheels. And the front left tire was badly worn and needed to be changed.

The main cause of accidents on the Turnpike are worn-out and under-inflated tires, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. To that list we would add having uneven tread between front and back tires, with the better tires on the front. See http://car-accident-rain.com for more information.

Alaska Mulls Making Snow Tires Mandatory

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Posted on 17th February 2010 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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Better tires? Sounds like a great idea, right. Well not if they put the new tires on only the front. See http://car-accident-rain.com All tire manufacturers agree that it is extremely dangerous to have newer tires on the front of a vehicle than on the back.

Alaska lawmakers are weighing whether to require state residents to install winter tires on their vehicles from mid-December to mid-March.
http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/6376818/article-Alaska-Legislature-considers-making-snow-tires-mandatory?instance=home_news_window_left_top_2

The bill also permits the use of studded tires, as well as name-brand tires that the Alaska Department of Public Safety deems acceptable.

The Alaska Legislature’s transportation committee had a hearing on the tire bill Tuesday, when a proposal to bar the use of cell phones by drivers was also discussed.

At the hearing tire company officials said that most winter accidents and deaths in the far northern United States and Europe are caused by problems with turning. We wonder why they didn’t raise the issue they all agree about with respect to assuring that if only two tires are replaced, they must go on the back. This rule would apply even more so for snow tires. Remember, the natural inclination would be to put the snow tires on the front of a front wheel drive car.

Toronto Maple Leaf GM’s Son Killed in Indiana Crash

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Posted on 8th February 2010 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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The son of Brian Burke, general manager of the NHL Toronto Maple Leafs, and another youth were both killed in a head-on crash with a truck in central Indiana Friday. http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Leafs+Burke+killed+accident/2529702/story.html

Brendan Burke, 21, of Canton, Mass., and Mark Reedy died when the car Burke was driving skidded on ice and hit a truck on Highway 35 near Economy, Ind. The accident took place about 70 miles northeast of Indianapolis. Reedy was an 18-year-old Michigan State University freshman studying engineering.

A heavy snowfall made roads slippery and Burke’s 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee hit a 1997 Ford truck head-on.

Burke attended Miami University in Ohio and had a job with the school’s hockey team.

His death brings into question whether his father will go through with plans to attend the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver Feb. 12.

In a press release, the Maple Leafs said, “We are saddened to report that Brendan Burke, the youngest son of Toronto president and general manager Brian Burke, succumbed to injuries he suffered in an auto accident earlier today in Indiana. The family asks for privacy at this very difficult time.”

As we have said repeatedly on this blog, fully understanding what happened in this accident requires an inspection and investigation of the relative tread on the tires on Burke’s vehicle. If the tires on the front were newer than those on the back, this might be what caused the skid. For more information on potential liability of non-drivers in skidding accidents, see http://car-accident-rain.com

Winter Tire Challenges – Front Wheel Drive Cars Should have Snow Tires on Back

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Posted on 18th December 2009 by gjohnson in Uncategorized

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Front wheel drive cars. I remember when they were a novelty. I had a 1966 Toronado, reputedly the first major front wheel drive. And the common wisdom then was to put the snow tires on the front. My guess is that is still the common wisdom. Actually, it is the common misconception.

All tire manufacturers agree that the tires with the best traction must be on the back. If not when your car begins to fishtail or hydroplane, you won’t be able to steer out of the skid and you will be in a spin.

We have a new web home, http://car-accident-rain.com Odd time of year to focus on rain accidents, but the dynamics are the same. Snow and rain make your car hydroplane. If you begin to skid, you will be able to control it if you have the better traction on the back. If you have the better traction the front, you are in serious trouble.

Any tire installer that put the new tires or the snow tires on the front, has committed a negligent act that could kill or seriously injure. Insist on the better tires in back.

If someone you know got hurt in a skidding accident, call us to see if it was the tire installers fault.