1992 Honda Accord Owner's Manual - Page 151
1992 Honda Accord Manual
Page 151 highlights
DOT Tire Quality Grades US Cars The tires on your car meet Federal Safety Requirements. All tires are also "graded" according to Department of Transportation (DOT) standards for tread wear, traction and temperature. Three grades are shown on the tire sidewall. TIRE WHEEL RIM Tread Wear The tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified government test course. For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one half (1-1/2) times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100. The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differences in road characteristics and climate. Traction The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are A, B, and C, and they 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. The traction grades assigned are based on braking (straight ahead) traction tests and do not include cornering (turning) traction. (cont'd)