Despite being one of the most important parts of a vehicle, tires are often the most neglected. Not properly caring for them can lead to dire consequences, especially for law enforcement officers who put their vehicles through heavy stress on a regular basis.

Fleet managers have a duty to ensure their drivers — including law enforcement officers — know the basics of tire care.

Determining whether to repair or replace police tires can also be tricky.

Sgt. Tom Gorman of the Connecticut State Police and Billy Sterner, CAFM, CEM, fleet services manager for the town of Flower Mound, Texas, were joined by a panel of tire manufacturer representatives to share the basics of choosing the right tire, proper tire care, and repairing vs. replacing tires at the 2024 Police Fleet Conference at GFX.

Choosing the Right Tire

Police fleet managers have an array of tires to choose from. Things to consider when selecting tires for police vehicles include use case, climate, roadway conditions, and more. For officers who aren’t doing regular patrol work, they may not need pursuit-rated tires.

“There is no magical tire. That's what this comes down to. What's the goal for your agency?” Gorman asked attendees.

If your agency prefers to change tires seasonally, that practice may affect the longevity of a tire. Once you stretch the tire bead over the rim so many times, the tire can begin to show additional wear. That can create a liability issue if the vehicle is used for pursuits.

When it comes to vehicles designated for patrol use, Gorman encourages agencies to use pursuit-rated tires. They have improved handling characteristics, sturdier sidewall construction, and are designed to take on impact, making them suitable for high-speed chases. They are also designed to survive the rigors of police driving.

Additionally, pursuit-rated tires are generally speed-rated and have longer-lasting tread wear compared to standard tires.

Like pursuit-rated vehicles, pursuit-rated tires are not certified through any official entity; they are simply given that name by the manufacturers. While there are agencies that test the tires to ensure they can do what manufacturers say they can do, they receive no official certification that makes them pursuit-rated.

Tire Care 101

Proper tire inflation is important in ensuring the safety and performance of a vehicle. However, there is an ongoing debate over what the best tire pressure is for police vehicles.

The sticker inside the driver’s side door will include the standard tire pressure. Even if you’re not using a tire or vehicle specifically designed for police work, it’s crucial to follow the manufacturer recommendations, because engineers work closely with vehicle manufacturers to create those recommendations based on their own testing.

Over-inflating tires can be extremely dangerous. If your technicians notice a pattern in one of your officers regularly over-inflating their tires, it’s important to investigate.

In Sterner’s case, he had officers that continued to over-inflate their tires. Upon investigating, he found out that the officers’ emergency vehicle operator course (EVOC) instructors told them it was a best practice to inflate the tire 10 PSI over the manufacturer’s recommendation.

Sterner was able to use this information to teach the officers to instead only inflate to the recommended PSI.

Gorman recommends adhering to the sticker on the vehicle for the recommended PSI versus the inside of the tire wall.

“The sidewall wasn't designed for the car; the tire sticker that's on the car was designed for the car,” Gorman stressed.

Checking the tire pressure is crucial for officer safety.

“Inflation pressure, I would argue, is just as important to officer safety as body armor or as a weapon, because they're in the vehicle every day. If we're not monitoring that inflation pressure, then we've got to change standards,” Bridgestone Senior Manager of Government Fleet Sales John Murphy stressed. “Air pressure is the most important and a critical component of tire performance.”

Newer vehicles now have tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), which are great at giving you a general idea of whether you have a flat. But they don’t always give you a clear picture of your tire’s health.

For example, a tire may have damage to the sidewall or a bulge in the tire after you hit a curb during a pursuit, but still be able to hold air. Your TPMS won’t be able to tell you that. The gold standard, Gorman said, is to teach officers to both check their tire’s air pressure — with a tire gauge — and give them a look over before and after every shift to ensure they are safe to drive on.

“It's a safety aspect. I want to get home at the end of the day. I want to make sure the car I'm climbing into is going to perform the way it's supposed to, particularly if I have to drive it at speed for some reason,” Gorman said.

It’s also important to know where to check the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) number. It will be located on the inside sidewall near the rim. The letters ‘DOT’ are followed by a series of numbers and/or letters to let you know where the tire was manufactured, the tire size, the manufacturer’s code, and the week and year the tire was manufactured.

That last part is especially important if you reuse tires. You never want to reuse tires that are too old because the rubber will degrade over time.

“You want to make sure you’re able to experience the highest level of performance you’ll get from a tire when you need it. If you’ve compromised the tire by not inspecting it for damage or maintaining the right PSI, that’s ultimately going to impact it when you need that tire most,” then-BFGoodrich Product Category Manager Farrell Scott said.

Repairing vs. Replacing Tires

Determining whether to replace or repair a tire on any fleet vehicle can be tough, but when you throw in the high stress that officers put on their tires, it can complicate things even further.

For Gorman, the risk that could come with repairing a tire doesn’t outweigh the benefit of saving money.

“Predictable is preventable. If we know we have a tire failure that could inevitably lead to another tire failure, we won’t chance it,” Gorman said.

Tire manufacturers generally follow recommendations set by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA), but the association does not have standards for pursuit tires, which can make things tricky.

What the Tire Manufacturers Say

Government Fleet reached out to BFGoodrich/Michelin, Bridgestone, and Goodyear for their stance on repairing vs. replacing tires for pursuit use. We’ve highlighted what each of them shared with us.

BFGoodrich/Michelin

Michelin and BFGoodrich recommend that fleets comply with USTMA's tire repair procedures. Proper adherence to these methods preserves the tire's structural integrity, allowing for optimal tire utilization.

• ¼” diameter or less in damage

• Maximum 3 repairs to an individual tire, except run flat tires only 1 repair permitted

• Each repair location should be a minimum of 90° apart

• No additional repair can be made if the first or second repair is not an approved USTMA repair type.

We recommend that a tire should be replaced instead of repaired if it is damaged in the bead, sidewall, or outer tread blocks, or if the damage is larger than 1/4 in. in diameter. Improperly repaired tires can fail while in service, such as by tread-belt separation and/or detachment, which may result in an accident, causing serious personal injury or death.

If fleet managers remain uncertain about whether a tire needs replacing after adhering to the USTMA repair guidelines, the safest course of action is to replace the tire.

Bridgestone

A tire that is to be used in high-speed/pursuit applications should be replaced if [drivers] experience a road hazard. Tires that are properly repaired lose their speed rating and must be removed from high-speed applications. Tires that are not used in pursuit applications may be repaired. Bridgestone always recommends following industry standards on repairing tires according to USTMA.

If repairability is questionable, replacement should be the path forward.

Goodyear

Goodyear follows USTMA’s guidance on repairing tires. USTMA states there is a process to properly repair a puncture. For H and above speed-rated tires, Goodyear allows only one properly performed puncture repair for the speed rating of the tire to be maintained.

If the puncture is outside the puncture repair area or where it extends into the shoulder/belt edge area or where the damage extends at an angle into the shoulder area, the tire should be replaced.

If there are any questions to the extent of the damage, the tire must be scrapped. Based on USTMA’s guidance, Goodyear recommends the agency replace the tire if they are unsure whether it should be repaired or replaced.

The Bottom Line

All three manufacturers agree that tires can be reused for non-high-speed applications if repaired to standards.

The manufacturers also stressed the importance of ensuring technicians receive the proper training required to repair tires. USTMA offers training.

While fleet managers may face budgetary pressures from stakeholders, it is imperative that they communicate the importance of tire health and its impact to officer safety.

“A tire is not the place to cheap out. When it comes to the mechanical aspects of the tire and what's holding that car to the ground, that's not the place to trim your pennies at,” Gorman stressed.

Murphy encouraged fleet managers to communicate with both officers and technicians about the role tires play in ensuring their drivers get from point A to point B.

“Law enforcement officers never know when they're going to need that tire to perform at its highest level,” Murphy said. “You want the optimum performance, because you've got to perform the optimal job. And if there's anything that could delay that or impede that, or if heaven forbid, cause injury or damage, why question it?”