Chapter 02. Pneumatic Vehicle Tires
Regulation .01 Purpose and Applicability.LinkCopy Citation
A.
The purpose of this chapter is to:
(1)
Establish safety requirements for the sale and use of tires for vehicles operating on State highways; and
(2)
Provide criteria to determine the safe operating condition of vehicle tires.
B.
Applicability. This chapter is applicable to the sale or lease, offering for sale or lease, and use or intended use of tires on State highways.
Regulation .02 Definitions.LinkCopy Citation
A.
In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.
B.
Terms Defined.
(1)
“GVWR” means gross vehicle weight rating.
(2)
“Highway-use vehicle” means all vehicles that are operated upon the highways of this State, except special mobile equipment not designed to move with the normal flow of traffic.
(3)
“Tire stud” means a pin made of a material having a hardness factor approximating tungsten carbide surrounded by a casing equipped with a flanging arrangement designed to retain the assembly into premolded holes in the tire tread surface.
Regulation .03 Incorporation by Reference.LinkCopy Citation
A.
In this chapter, the following documents are incorporated by reference.
B.
Documents Incorporated.
(1)
49 CFR §571.109, as amended;
(2)
49 CFR §571.117, as amended;
(3)
49 CFR §571.119, as amended;
(4)
49 CFR §571.139, as amended; and
(5)
49 CFR 574, as amended.
Regulation .04 Sale of Tires.LinkCopy Citation
A.
A person, firm, or corporation may not sell, offer for sale, or distribute any new tire or any vehicle equipped with new tires for use on the highways of this State that do not comply with the applicable provisions of 49 CFR §§571.109, 571.119, and 571.139 and 49 CFR 574.
B.
A tire manufacturer may not manufacture tires for sale or use as new tires in this State that do not comply with the applicable provisions of 49 CFR §§571.109, 571.119, and 571.139 and 49 CFR 574.
C.
A retreaded tire shall be manufactured in accordance with the provisions of 49 CFR §571.117.
D.
A person, firm, or corporation may not sell or offer for sale, other than to a tire dealer, a tire for use by a highway-use vehicle on the highways of this State that do not meet the requirements for safe operating condition contained in Regulation .08 of this chapter.
E.
A person, firm, or corporation may not sell or offer for sale, other than to a licensed motor vehicle dealer, a highway-use vehicle for use on the highways of this State unless the vehicle is equipped with tires in safe operating condition as set forth in Regulation .08 of this chapter.
Regulation .05 Use of Tires.LinkCopy Citation
A person may not operate or move, or cause to be operated or moved, a highway-use vehicle upon the highways unless the vehicle is equipped with tires in safe operating condition as set forth in Regulation .08 of this chapter.
Regulation .06 Enforcement Procedure.LinkCopy Citation
A law enforcement officer, at any time, may stop a highway-use vehicle and inspect its tires for compliance with the provisions of these regulations. If the inspection discloses that a tire or tires of the vehicle are in violation, the officer shall issue a warning for defective equipment and mechanisms in accordance with Transportation Article, §23-104, Annotated Code of Maryland.
Regulation .07 Penalties.LinkCopy Citation
Each violation of Regulation .04 of this chapter is a separate violation and is a misdemeanor.
Regulation .08 Tire Safety Standards.LinkCopy Citation
A.
A tire is considered in safe operating condition when it is not subject to rejection or considered unsafe for any of the causes listed in Regulation .09 of this chapter.
B.
Inspection of Tires.
(1)
Tires shall be visually inspected for:
(a)
Bumps or bulges due to tread separation;
(b)
Exposed ply or cord;
(c)
Cord damage; and
(d)
Tread depth.
(2)
Tread depth shall be measured with a tread depth gauge or other suitable measuring device in any two or more adjacent tread grooves at three locations equally spaced around the circumference of the tire, at least one of which shall be at a point where the tread is thinnest exclusive of tie bars and tread wear indicators.
(3)
Tread depth may be measured by visual inspection of the tread wear indicators when molded into the tire.
(4)
Other tire inspection regulations are contained in COMAR 11.14.
Regulation .09 Unsafe Tires.LinkCopy Citation
A tire is considered unsafe if it:
A.
Has tread or sidewall cuts, cracks, or snags, or is otherwise damaged in such a manner as to expose body cords;
B.
Has any bump or bulge due to tread separation;
C.
Is worn to a tread design depth of less than 2/32 of an inch or is worn to a tread design depth of less than 4/32 of an inch for tires in front wheel positions on motor vehicles with a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds;
D.
Has been retreaded or recapped and is mounted on the steering axle of a passenger bus with a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds;
E.
Has been regrooved or recut except as authorized in Transportation Article, §22-405.1, Annotated Code of Maryland;
F.
Is marked “not for highway use”, or “for racing purposes only”, or “unsafe for highway use” or has such other conditions or markings as may be reasonably demonstrated to render the tire unsafe for highway use;
G.
Is not of the same size and type as other tires on the same axle;
H.
Is labeled as a “tube type” and is mounted without a properly inflated tube.
Regulation .10 Studded Snow Tires.LinkCopy Citation
A.
The purpose of this regulation is to regulate the sale and use of studded snow tires in Maryland and to establish standards for tire studs pursuant to the authority contained in Transportation Article, §22.405.2, Annotated Code of Maryland.
B.
Sale and Use of Studded Snow Tires.
(1)
A person may not sell or offer for sale studded snow tires in this State except in Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties.
(2)
From November 1 through March 31, vehicles registered in Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties may be equipped with studded snow tires and may be operated only in Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties.
C.
Tire Stud Standards.
(1)
Tire studs shall be constructed to employ a pin or core and a casing in such a manner as to regulate the protrusion of the tire stud beyond the tread surface of the tire. Tire stud pins or cores shall be constructed of a material with sufficient hardness characteristics to be effective in providing traction on hardpacked snow and ice. Tire studs shall be designed for maximum retention qualities when inserted in pre-molded holes in the tire tread surface.
(2)
Tire studs shall be designed to regulate protrusion under all conditions of loading to a minimum of 1/32 inch (0.031 inch) and a maximum of 2/32 inch (0.062 inch). Tire stud diameters shall be limited to between 0.062 inch and 0.125 inch for the pin or core and between 0.187 inch and 0.250 inch for the casing.
(3)
The maximum number of tire studs permitted to be installed into a tire shall be according to tire size and shall be calculated on the basis that the combined cross-sectional area of the stud assemblies may not exceed 1 1/4 percent (0.0125) of the total area of the tread surface, but the number of tire studs installed may not exceed 150 per tire.
Chapter annotations
Authority: Transportation Article, §§12-104(b), 22-405, 22-405.2, and 22-405.5, Annotated Code of Maryland
History: Effective date:
History: Regulations .01—.06 effective February 15, 1973
History: Regulations .07—.15 effective December 1, 1973
History: Chapter revised effective June 17, 1996 (23:12 Md. R. 871)
History: Regulation .02B amended effective October 27, 2014 (41:21 Md. R. 1260)
History: Regulation .03B amended effective October 27, 2014 (41:21 Md. R. 1260)
History: Regulation .04 amended effective October 27, 2014 (41:21 Md. R. 1260)
History: Regulation .09 amended effective October 27, 2014 (41:21 Md. R. 1260)
History: Regulation .10B, C amended effective October 27, 2014 (41:21 Md. R. 1260)