Equipment Performance Report: 2011 Patrol Vehicle Tires, July 2011

• NCJ Number: 252859
• Author(s): Keith Wilson; Matthew Rogers
• Date Published: July 2011
• Length: 360 pages
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Test/Measurement; Technical Assistance; Report (Study/Research); Report (Grant Sponsored); Program/Project Description

Annotation

Findings and methodology are presented for the Michigan State Police's (MSP's) June 2011 testing of selected replacement tires for police vehicles.

Abstract

In selecting the tires for testing, the MSP sought recommendations from automotive engineers with Chrysler, General Motors, and Ford, along with Internet research, in order to develop a list of tire manufacturers. Each tire manufacturer was contacted and offered the opportunity to participate in the tire evaluation. Only Goodyear, Firestone, and Pirelli manufacture tires that are used by auto manufacturers for full-service police vehicles. The manufacturers of the three additional brands that volunteered for the testing stated that their tires are suitable for police vehicles; however, they do not conduct police-specific durability testing of their tires. The tire manufacturers included in the testing were Goodyear, Firestone, Cooper, Nokian, Nitto, and Pirelli. All tires used in the testing were purchased from a retail tire store, so as to ensure that each model was an actual production version. Goodyear, Firestone, Pirelli, and Nitto categorized their tire entries as "High Performance All Season" tires. Nokian labels its model as an "All Weather Plus" tire, and the Cooper tire is a "Premium Luxury Touring" tire. This report notes that when considering replacements, it is important to purchase tires the same size and speed rating as the original equipment tire. The tires were tested in both a new tire condition and worn-tire condition after 100 laps around a 1-mile road course that simulated pursuit or emergency driving conditions. The tires were tested for average stopping distances, steady-state turn, wear sequence lap times, and percentage of tread consumed during testing. Results are reported in tabular form for each tire brand. Extensive tables and figures