LIFTOFF IMMINENT Mach I Plus

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The need for speed

43 SIZES UP TO 20" 70,000 MILE LIMITED WARRANTY CONFIDENT ALL-SEASON PERFORMANCE

TAKE YOUR DRIVING EXPERIENCE TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH THE ALL-NEW LAUNCHING May 202 3

Toyota Corolla and the OE tires are P215/45R17 with an 87 load index and a W speed rating. I’ve put over 30,000 miles on it in the last year-and-a-half, so I’m confident in saying there is no possible way my car is capable of 168 mph, which is the max speed for a W-rated tire.

Toyota didn’t spec a W-rated tire because the vehicle would be traveling at 168 mph. They choose the W-rated tire because it gave the car the best handling characteristics. When I replaced the car’s tires last year, I wanted the W-rated tire because I like the way the car handles and don’t want that to change. I got them and it hasn’t.

In my opinion, the status of the speed rating after a repair should only matter if the tire will actually be operated at the maximum speed. I can see where a manufacturer is not willing to stand behind a speed rating when a repaired tire is traveling at the maximum speed and equally on-board with limiting the number of repairs and the proximity in those situations. But a properly installed repair in the repairable area should have no impact on how the tire handles.

If I get a repairable injury in a tire on my car, I will have total confidence in the structural integrity of the tire after the repair because I know it will be installed correctly. It shouldn’t matter, but it does.

If you find yourself in civil litigation, the plaintiff is going to ask a lot of questions. They are going to review the policies and procedures, training records and statements of all the key witnesses, with the goal of painting the worst possible picture of the business.

The microscope will be focused on everything that was not consistent with industry best practices in order to argue that every box that was not checked contributed to the cause of the accident that led to the lawsuit.

Experts can argue about causation for hours, but there’s no defense for failing to follow the most universally accepted industry guidelines.

There have been those moments in a case where I have agreed that the defendant failed to meet the standard of care. Sometimes, I’m able to argue that it did not contribute to the accident, while in others, I have to admit that it could have contributed.

Every fault will be exposed to paint a picture of negligence for the jury. None of the details matter until they become part of an accident investigation.

If the industry guidelines for performance tire selection, service and installation are followed, the picture of the defendant (the retailer) will end up being much better in the eyes of a juror.

Someday, the details may matter, so it’s best to make sure that all of the boxes are checked on every performance tire that is installed or serviced.