Advanced ID Applauds U.S. NHTSA\'s Consumer Advisory on Tire Safety

Tag : tire tread
[06/27/08]
Advanced ID Corporation, a leading developer of RFID technology forlivestock tracking, pet recovery and supply chain applications,with a focus on tire management, applauds the National HighwayTraffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) recent Consumer Advisory onthe dangers of aged tires. On June 2, NHTSA kicked off the summerdriving season with a warning to motorists to check their tires --including the spare - for signs of wear, under-inflation and age.The season's heat, especially in hot climates, can take its toll onworn, old or improperly inflated tires leading to treadseparations, crashes and rollovers, the advisory said.

"We believe that NHTSA's consumer advisory on tire safety is goingto have a significant affect on the rubber manufacturers - this isthe first time the U.S. government has taken a public position onthe issue," said Dan Finch, President and CEO of Advanced ID. "Wehave been actively supporting tire safety by consulting with andencouraging the tire industry to adopt the RFID as a solution toidentifying, tracking and measuring tires from manufacture toscrap. Our global partners around the world are poised to beginimplementation of tire tags for its many benefits, including themeans to identify tires in case of failure. All the tire tag testsbeing conducted in numerous markets around the world - from Asia toEurope to Latin America -- have been concluded or are nearconclusion and, hopefully, the U.S. will follow suit quickly beforefailures result in loss of life."

NHTSA's advisory on the effect of age on tires - even if they havenever been used - follows warnings by automakers and some tiremanufacturers against using older tires. Tires age throughoxidation - air passing through the tire, breaking down the bondsbetween the rubber and steel components and rendering the rubbermore brittle and prone to cracks. While the consumer advisory didnot define any tire age limit, research shows that tires six yearsor older have a much higher likelihood of failure.

As the aged tires message takes hold, tire retailers, serviceproviders and manufacturers will have to raise their standards andpursue solutions to track and record tire age, condition,performance and manufacturer recalls. A recent investigation intothe dangers of aged tires by the ABC news magazine program, 20/20,showed how easy it was to buy "new" tires at a major retailer thathad actually been constructed a decade ago. The report alsounderscored the inefficiencies and difficulties in managing thenation's tire inventory without RFID technology.

RFID is an automated technology that uses radio-frequency waves totransfer data between a reader and a movable item. Currently, RFIDtags are used to identify, categorize and track inventory as itmoves along the supply chain. RFID tags, either active or passive,use high-frequency radio waves that are read by a hand-held reader.Embedded in a tire or affixed to the sidewall, an RFID tag is apowerful tire tracking tool, already used by the commercialtrucking industry and NASCAR.

The tire tag solution from Advanced ID is based on proprietary RFIDtag readers developed by the company and RFID tag technologyobtained through a third party license for a 915 MHz tire tag forthe transportation industry. Advanced ID provides both the tire tagthat is embedded in the tire during the curing (manufacturing)process and also the tire patch, which is cold-vulcanized on thetire after manufacture or for replacement tires already in thefield. Both applications provide a life-of-tire, unique ID for thetire which can be used for inventory purposes, tire maintenancewith the Company's Pneu-Logic tire inspection tools division, theftprevention, and as a resource in tire recall situations.

Advanced ID has developed the most advanced RFID UHF tire tags andaccompanying reader platform, which is gaining acceptance andimplementation among tire manufacturers, industry supply chainconstituents and safety advocates. The company offers astate-of-the-art RFID solution to track and identify tires. This isof vital importance to tire owners and fleet managers as trackingof tires enables the documentation of the entire aging and life ofthe tire - from point of origin through retreading and servicerepairs.

For more information on proper tire care, consumers may visit www.safecar.gov . The entire Consumer Advisory on tire safety is available onlineat www.nhtsa.dot.gov .

About Advanced ID Corporation:

Advanced ID Corporation is a complete solutions provider in theRFID market with a focus on the tire management industry. Thecompany is also a major factor in the tire inspection businessthrough its UK based Pneu-Logic subsidiary. The Company is activein the pet recovery business through its AVID Canada subsidiary inCalgary, Alberta, and has developed a UHF RFID reader product linethrough its Advanced ID Asia Engineering technical support andbusiness development partner in Chiang Mai, Thailand.