Final answer:
The DOT number on a tire does not provide the exact date to the minute but indicates the week and year the tire was manufactured, debunking the claim that a technician can determine the exact minute of a tire's production from this number.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the DOT number on a tire tells the technician the exact date the tire was made, to the minute, is false. The DOT number, which stands for Department of Transportation number, provides information about the tire including the manufacturer, plant code where it was produced, the tire size, and manufacturer's code, along with the week and year the tire was manufactured. The code is usually a four-digit number with the first two digits representing the week of manufacture and the last two digits indicating the year. For example, a DOT number with the end code 2116 would indicate that the tire was made in the 21st week of 2016. This information is critical for understanding the tire's age and for safety recall purposes.