F. Cecil Brenner; Scientist Developed U.S. Tire Safety Standards

F. Cecil Brenner, 79, a fiber scientist who developed the government standard that rates the safety and performance of automobile tires. Brenner developed the Uniform Tire Quality Grading System, which grades tires according to tread wear, traction and temperature resistance. The system was adopted into law in 1975 to give motorists comparative performance and mileage information. Brenner was responsible for developing the system as tire systems division chief at the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s safety research laboratory. In Washington on Thursday of a brain tumor.