#Enshitification is everywhere these days. I had to get new tires on my car, the old ones were not that old, but they had worn down to a depth of 5 (as in 5/32 in), which is nearly replacement depth. It turns out, they don't make the tread depth on tires nearly as deep as they used to. My "brand new" tires that I had installed last Monday are at an 8. New tires for most non-truck vehicles used to start at 11 or 12. You are supposed to change them when they are at a 4.My wife works in auto damage, and she has been seeing this trend for the last several years. Tires are manufactured to have less longevity, but the prices haven't come down to match. Accidents that destroy tires that still have a depth higher than 8 are fun, as insurance is required to replace with like kind quality. But this is nearly impossible now, so they have to pay out an allotment for the shittier "new" tires they are forced to install.For reference, a tread depth of 7 is only considered "Okay" as far as traction is concerned. So brand new tires starting at an 8 quickly degrade below optimal traction.It's all about the Benjamins.Cc: @pluralistic
