Honda Civic Coupe 2000 Owner's Manual page 249

DOT Tire Quality Grading (U.S. Cars)
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to
lowest, are A A , A, B, and C. Those
grades represent the tire's ability to
stop on wet pavement as measured
under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of
asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned
to this tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not
include acceleration, cornering,
hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteristics.
Technical Information
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the
highest), B, and C, representing the
tire's resistance to the generation of
heat and its ability to dissipate heat
when tested under controlled
conditions on a specified indoor
laboratory test wheel. Sustained high
temperature can cause the material
of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature
can lead to sudden tire failure. The
grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car
tires must meet under the Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No.
109. Grades B and A represent
higher levels of performance on the
laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
Warning: The temperature grade for
this tire is established for a tire that
is properly inflated and not over-
loaded. Excessive speed, underinfla-
tion, or excessive loading either
separately or in combination, can
cause heat build-up and possible tire
failure.