RTA defends retreaded tires in email exchange with irate motorist

Jan. 1, 2020
Harvey Brodsky, managing director of the Retread Tire Association (RTA), wants to share with the industry a recent email that he received from a motorist, plus Brodsky’s response.

Harvey Brodsky, managing director of the Retread Tire Association (RTA), wants to share with the industry a recent email that he received from a motorist, plus Brodsky’s response.

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The RTA gets numerous emails from the motoring public, public officials and others who have questions or comments they wish to share about retreads, he reports. “Most are objective and polite, but from time to time we receive one that we consider offensive.”

Here is the exchange…

Received email:

Subject: RETREAD! great for trucks but not good for the open interstate highways

Harvey,

Check out the number of accidents caused by trucks leaving behind the remnants of the retread. Yesterday, in the tri-state Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky region it caused a death with a full retread in the road in traffic. Today, I counted no less than two dozen large pieces of retread in the road from Columbus, OH to Cincinnati, OH. That after a Fed Ex truck disposed a retread into my car. Lucky for me it was a rental and not my private vehicle. Think about that when you revere the benefits of retreads in the tire industry. Much different for a school bus or plane that is not in high traffic on the interstate. It almost cost me my life today. Lucky it only will run me my $500 deductible collision.

Best Regard,

(Sender’s name and phone number)

P.S. How much are you paid to take your position and would it change if you lost a family member to the great retread savings.

Brodsky’s reply:

This is to reply to your email dated Friday, April 20, 2012.

I will begin by taking offense to your statement, “P.S. How much are you paid to take your position and would it change if you lost a family member to the great retread savings.” I assure you that you do not have enough money – nor does anyone else on this planet – to make me promote a product that I didn’t believe in. As a matter of interest, I personally drive on retreaded tires as does my wife and other family members.

Regarding the rest of your email, I challenge how you could know with certainty that the tire debris you saw on the highway came from retreads, especially since much of the tire debris on our highways on any given day comes from tires that have NEVER been inside a retread factory. Tires fail and come apart because of improper tire maintenance with the biggest culprit being underinflation, followed closely by overinflation, overloading, mismatching of tires on dual wheel positions, improper tire repairs and a number of other reasons, but to blame all rubber on the road on retreads is the same as blaming a vehicle for an accident caused by a drink driver. The blame is simply misplaced.

There is ample evidence that retreads are NOT the prime cause of rubber on the road and if you care to truly learn more about retreads and safety, let us send you a packet of material, but in order to do so we require your mailing address. Also, if you are really interested in being objective before making unfair accusations, allow us to arrange for a visit to a modern retread plant near where you live. If you are willing to not be confused by the facts I believe you will come away with a new perspective regarding the safety and other benefits of retreaded tires.

Finally, I wish to again assure you that I am not for sale, at any price.

Sincerely,

Harvey Brodsky

For more information, visit www.retreadtire.org.

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