Tread wear rating
Tyre models that are marketed in the US have to have a tread wear rating as part of the Uniform Tyre Quality Grading System (UTQG) operated by the US government National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Under the system, a tyre’s tread wear is measured under controlled conditions involving an 11,500 km drive on a specified test course, and compared to a ‘standard’ tyre with a rating of 100.
A rating of 200 indicates that the tested tyre should last twice as long as the standard model. So the higher the number, the longer you can expect a tyre to last.
However, the rating is comparative only, and not all tyres carry it. Real-life wear of a tyre depends on a number of aspects, such as the road surface, tyre pressure, wheel alignment and driving style.
Also part of the UTQG, and printed on the tyre sidewall next to the tread wear rating, are:
* A traction rating that grades the tyre’s wet braking traction (AA, A, B or C, with AA being best).
* A temperature rating, which indicates a tyre’s ability to dissipate heat (A, B, C, with A being best).
i guess a brief summary in our context is that they are tested under standerdised conditions, and as such measured under controlled conditions. BD and Ben's driving styles might be very different, and also teh driving surfaces might be different, so it is i guess the most objective way of measuring wear on tyres. I would be inclined to believe the tyre wear rating.
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