A lot riding on pending Maryland tire safety bills

Proposed laws could place limitations on how your tires are repaired and maintained.

2013-04-13

April 13, 2013 (Press-News.org) If you're like most motorists, you probably don't spend a lot of time thinking about your tires. When you have your vehicle serviced, you expect to leave the service station with tires that will keep you and your passengers safe. Nonetheless, defective tires are the cause of numerous car accidents.

A pair of bills working their way through the Maryland legislature aim to help improve tire safety. If House Bills 122 and 1110 become law, they will impose stricter requirements on service shops that repair and replace tires.

Bills seek stronger tire repair standards, more information for consumers

HB 122 targets safety practices in auto and tire repair facilities. Specifically, the bill would require technicians to:

o Demount tires from the rim before performing any tire repairs

o Perform a visual and tactile inspection of the full interior and exterior of the tire

o Repair punctures and cuts in the tread area using a patch and rubber stem or combination repair rather than a plug

HB 122 also contains more stringent technical standards for establishing the end of a tire's safe lifespan. The bill would prohibit repairing any tire with 2/32-inch tread depth or less, with a puncture or cut more than 1/4-inch in diameter or width, with a puncture or cut in the sidewall, shoulder or belt edge, or that requires a patch that would overlap an existing patch. Each violation would cost service facilities a mandatory $500 fine.

Like HB 122, HB 1110 is about tire safety. HB 1110, however, focuses on the need to educate consumers about aging tires. This measure would require all Maryland tire sellers to provide a printed, precisely worded statement on the dangers of tire aging every time they sold a tire more than three years past its manufacture date. The fine for failing to provide this information would be up to $250 per violation.

Both bills are before the Maryland House Committee on Economic Matters and were sent to "summer study," meaning that the committee members want to further vet them before potentially introducing them to the General Assembly. The Maryland General Assembly is scheduled to reconvene in January 2014.

Even if tire safety bills do not pass, injured Maryland motorists have recourse

It remains to be seen whether the two new Maryland tire safety bills will ultimately pass into law. Yet, while Maryland consumers await the decision of the legislature, they are not without legal protection from tire defects.

When a problem with a tire causes a car accident, injured victims can hold the responsible parties accountable for financial damages in a personal injury lawsuit. If a tire was repaired inadequately or shoddily, this could mean suing the service shop. Alternately, if the tire defect originated with the manufacturer, a products liability suit may be a possibility.

If you've been in injured in a car accident, there may be many potential avenues to pursue the full compensation you deserve. Contact a personal injury attorney today to learn more about your right to monetary damages.

Article provided by Portner & Shure, P.A.
Visit us at www.portnerandshure.com

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A lot riding on pending Maryland tire safety bills

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