Response from Goodyear Tires to Request from Gary Spencer on use of Winter Tires

Here is the response from Goodyear Tires to Gary Spencer's November 24, 2009 request for Goodyear's opinion on the use of winter tires.

(Click here to see November 24, 2009 letter from Gary Spencer to Goodyear Tires)

You will note the following in Spencer's original letter to Goodyear:

1. The Multi Function Activity Vehicles (MFAVs) have been variously called "small school buses" "20 passenger buses" "passenger buses" and "bus" even though the MFAVs are not a "bus".

2. Mr. Spencer admits that the MFAV is a new vehicle in the provincial fleet and because they didn't have a policy per se, they simply implemented the tire policy for yellow school buses (even though the MFAV is not a bus).

Please note the following in Goodyear's Reponse to Spencer

1. Goodyear calls the MFAV a "bus"

2. Goodyear admits that this is just its "opinion"

3. Goodyear admits is has never done a test on this type of vehicle

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From: frank.migneault@goodyear.com
Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 12:14 PM
To: Spencer. Gary (DOT/MDT)

Subject: Re: Opinion regarding the usage of winter tires on steering axles of small school buses.

Mr. Spencer:

I have consulted with a number of associates at our Global Headquarters in Akron regarding your request. Although we have not performed testing on this specific vehicle application, we are providing our opinion with regards to the usage of winter tires for these 21-passenger buses that are built on a 1 ton truck chassis with dual tires on the drive axle.

We concur with your independent automotive engineer's recommendation as follow:

(i) for the specific purpose of minimizing oversteer at highway speeds, the use of winter tires on the drive axle and non-winter tires on the steer axle of the subject vehicles is appropriate; and

(ii) for the subject vehicles in urban application, non-highways speeds, the use of winter tires on all positions is likewise appropriate.

Please contact me if you have any further questions.

Frank Migneault

Customer Engineering
Phone; (416) 201-7886
Fax: (416) 201-4256