Tires are treated with chemicals that slow oxidation and delay deterioration. But outside of an X-ray, experts said it’s difficult to measure interior wear and tear.

“You don’t have tire health monitoring for things like deterioration, things like tread abrasion,” said Carnegie Mellon engineering professor Swarum Kumar.

But Kumar is working to change that. His lab is trying to develop something like a tire pressure monitor that detects internal and invisible damage.

“Anything that we can do to help prevent these types of accidents can make a huge impact,” Kumar said.

Milford and Donna Stevens hope something can be done to make tires safer.

“This put the screws to my life,” Milford said.

Kumar said a tire can decay even while sitting on a store shelf. He said it is important for drivers to know how old their tires are and how long the manufacturer says they are supposed to last.
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