Michelin shines light on worn tire performance and testing

Michelin wants to start the conversation about standardized worn tire testing.

The French tire producer says 400 million tires are removed prematurely around the world each year, costing drivers more than $25 billion.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the end of the road for a tire is when it reaches 2/32-inch tread depth.

Michelin's proposed tread depth for worn tire testing is at 3/32-inch tread depth.

Michelin set up a wet handling test on two mystery all-season tires in new and worn condition.

Even between the new condition tires, there was a noticeable difference in turn in, cornering and braking performance in the wet conditions.

In worn condition, the performance gap was even more apparent with the Brand A tire dropping off some, but still offering decent performance.

The Brand B tire saw more substantial decline in performance, requiring more careful driving.

Rubber compound, contact patch shape and tread design are all major factors in a tire's ability to maintain performance throughout its life cycle, according to Michelin.

In the wet braking test, the Brand A tire once again bettered the Brand B tire in both new and worn condition.

Click or scroll through to see more images of Michelin's wet handling test.