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Bridgestone/Firestone Announces Support For Tire Recall Safety Bill

4 October 2000

Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. Announces Support For Tire Recall Safety Act Bill

    NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 3 Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc. today
sent a letter to Congressman Ed Bryant (R-TN) in support of the Tire Recall
Safety Act (H.R. 5332), a bill introduced by Mr. Bryant last week that imposes
criminal penalties on any person who knowingly sells or leases a tire that is
subject to a recall.
    A copy of the letter follows:

    BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE, INC.
    50 Century Boulevard
    P. O. Box 1408900
    Nashville, TN 37214-8900
    Phone: 615-872-5000
    Fax: 615-872-1599

    October 3, 2000

    The Honorable Ed Bryant
    408 Cannon House Office Building
    Washington, D.C. 20515-4207

    Dear Congressman Bryant:

    We are writing this letter to express Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.'s
support for the Tire Recall Safety Act (H.R. 5332), a bill that you introduced
last week, which would impose criminal penalties on any person who knowingly
sells or leases a tire which is subject to a recall under 49 U.S.C. S 30120.
    The practice of reselling used tires under a recall is not only illegal
and unethical but, most importantly, jeopardizes public safety. We strongly
support any efforts at the federal, state, or local level to prevent the
resale of recalled tires, as well as efforts to punish those persons engaged
in the sale of recalled tires. In fact, at the suggestion of attorneys general
in 14 U.S. states, we introduced a voluntary "bounty program" last week in an
effort to get all tires subject to the August 9th voluntary recall of certain
Firestone ATX, ATX II, and Wilderness AT tires out of circulation. Under the
Bridgestone/Firestone Bounty Program and Used Tire Return Program, we pay a
used tire dealer $10.00 per tire when the dealer completes an Inventory Return
Form and the recalled tires are shipped back to Bridgestone/Firestone or are
shredded at the tire reseller's place of business.
    Bridgestone/Firestone believes that the Tire Recall Safety Act, combined
with our voluntary efforts to get all recalled tires out of circulation, will
help eliminate the pernicious practice of reselling used tires under a recall.
We are committed to working with Congress, the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA), state authorities, and tire dealers to ensure that no
recalled tire is resold or put back into service.
    We support your leadership on this important public safety issue and will
provide any support and assistance you find necessary.
    Sincerely,
    John T. Lampe
    Executive Vice President
    Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.