My concern is also on safety... however most of the horror stories or "grandpa" experiences are just that, old. While technology increases, so do the process in manufacturing as well as all other processes. Perhaps the retreads have gained enough technology that the process has improved and the safety issue can be much smaller than it was before.

Plus when you think of it, all tires are manufactured in the same way. They are all pieced together and adhered in some manner. So really a re-tread, is nothing more than the standard process of tire manufacturing however some parts of the tire are used and re-conditioned. Its really about half the cost of standard tires where you are paying for the name and advertising. If 80% of the commercial industry, 100% of the government and military use retreads.... why not passenger vehicles?