Jack Williams

How Do Your Tires Rate? Look Them Up Here

A newly released, searchable database from the news website ProPublica allows consumers to evaluate tire makes, tire brands, and even particular sizes of tires to see how they were evaluated by government testers.

The database, which is free to use, uses information that came directly from the ratings of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Tires can be searched by brand, by model name (for example, the Goodyear Eagle series), or by entering a particular tire size. The results display information on each tire's temperature rating, traction rating, and treadwear rating.

You can use the database to research brands and tire models before you go shopping, or just to get the NHTSA's assessment of the tires that are already mounted on your vehicle. The information you find might make you aware of some of your tires' areas of weakness, which will allow you to modify your driving habits accordingly. For example, maybe your tires' treadwear rating is lower than you thought it was. You've had them on your car for a couple of years; have you checked their tread surfaces lately?

Link: ProPublica Tire Tracker