In an effort to improve safety/driver awareness, and recycling related costs of tires, tire-producing companies should explore the idea of color-coding the inner layer tread of its tires in an effort to signal to consumers when the tire may need replacement.
Currently consumers rely on visual inspection or wait until they have a major issue before addressing issues with wear and tear from a tire tread perspective. With this product you could give "un-educated tire" consumer a heads up on tire maintenance besides the typical "monitor tire pressure only mentality".
The color code would be visible in the tread itself instead of the wall of the tire to prevent an unattactive look for the car from other drivers. Various colors could be used to illustate the sense of urgency around replacement to the consumer.
As a side note how about taking tires to the next level and producing tires in various colors? In the world of "Look at what I'm driving" let's take tires to the next level with various colors to enhance your car's appearance. Somebody will buy it...look at what's already being done to cars to give them the look
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Great idea on the color indicator for tire tread wear. As for colored tires, when I was 12, I had a Diamondback "BMX" bike with Yellow Rubber Tires. I thought I was the coolest kid on the block. (I was probably the only one who did)
Tires already have a "wear bar indicator" built into the tread.
I forsee a problem, in that tires invariably do not wear evenly, and more often than not, on a vehicle with power assisted steering, the outside edges of the tires will wear at a faster rate than the inside. Therefore, the color banding with have to be evident accross the full width of the tread pattern. In order to do this, several layers of rubber will have to be bonded together, just like having a re-mould tire. Failure of these aformentioned tires are evident at high speeds etc and are not suitable for long distances etc.As for having colored tires as a aesthetic aid, you can buy gel which has pigment built into it. It is available in many different colours, so not only does it shine the tire wall, it suttely changes the colour too.
This is one of those products we wouldn't need if the average consumer had any sense at all.
Ah, EmeraldFalcon, so predictable. What an insightful comment! It has added value to this discussion. My perspective has changed now that I've read your comment. God, what would we do without you.
gtsweat, I think the color idea sounds better than it would be.
Truth is, the people that don't look for the tread-wear-markers on a tire are the same people that drive with the oil-light on. Or with a flat. It's true that tire wear is already easy to check and it only takes a little knowledge. But some people have no way to learn this and others don't care.
Also, driving around with the 'yellow' showing in your tires might be an embarrassment.
I don't know how this would improve recycling related costs--seems to me running the tires until the cords are showing, or until flat is still the most environmentally sound thing to do, even if it's not safe.
Getting a band of color to be at a predicted depth might not be so easy either. I've been to a tire factory and watched them make them--the rubber is put on manually before the tire is molded. And the proof of this is a colored tire--white-wall tires were popular for years--if you've ever cut into one, you'll see that the white isn't concentric and even underneath the part you see.
Maybe you'd like blue tires, but I know my little girl's bike with white tires always looks dirty. I think I'll stick with black. Even whitewalls get dirty. color is a pain.
Hi, i just want to let u that i have the same idea and i have a poor mans patent on that but i would like to talk with you about this becouse when i read your information it was down the same line as i thought so u can e-mail me at triadofficesolution@hotmail.com
If having the yellow showing in your tires is embarrassing, then this would be an advantage. That might be just the incentive many people need to get them to replace their worn out tires.
It is an idea that has been around for quite a while, and manufacturers are developing tires with this concept in mind. See www.icontire.com. They have tire with colored indicators that become visable when wet or winter weather traction is diminished.