RAC: Fleet Tyres a Big Problem

Fleet drivers are risking breakdowns through ignorance about their vehicle and suffer from a lack of knowledge about the basic maintenance of modern tyres, according to research published this week Changing tyres on the roadside and the use of sealants are reportedly major reasons for patrol call outs.

The RAC’s monthly vehicle fault analysis (VFA) reports (which are supplied to motor fleets and car manufacturers to help rectify automotive problems) revealed the top “driver-induced” reasons for breakdowns. One of the principal reasons for Fleet calls to RAC relates to tyre problems. The report says that drivers leave a punctured tyre in the boot from a previous wheel change and failing to have it repaired.

In addition, the advent of modern tyre repair kits – using a tyre filling foam dispensed from canisters – has generated an increase in call outs as the driver either does not want, or does not know how, to operate the canister.

The size of many current fleet vehicles such as 4x4s also puts drivers off changing tyres themselves, according to the RAC. Alloy wheel nuts presented an “extra challenge” particularly when corrosion has set in and the wheel gets stuck to the wheel hub. Flat batteries also came within the top 20 driver-related faults, and again were described as “preventable” by the RAC.