Tire Blowout Devices

I'm not a fan of the so called tire blowout safety devices. The decision to use them is certainly a personal one.

Before making the choice to purchase the Tyron Bands or the Rettroband ask yourself a simple question. What fleet operators or, better yet, government fleets are using these devices. Government organizations are often sold on the safety marketing and are always spending someone else's money. Last I checked, none are using either in the US.

If Tyron Bands are your choice. The next question you need to ask is the event of a blowout, how many times has a Prevost tire's bead actually left the wheel? If the answer is never, then the Tyron bands bought you nothing. Of course, just a single occurrence of a bead leaving the tire may be enough of a reason for some. FWIW, I'm not sure I've every seen pictures of a Prevost blowout where the bead is not still on the wheel.

The Rettroband is a more scary product. Just read this letter and you decide. BTW, I can't find this letter on their web site and I haven't seen a recall issued either. I'm a bit surprised a recall wasn't issued given the safety implications of a Rettroband coming a part.

Rettroband Letter Attachment 16855