‘Look After Your Tyres and Your Tyres Will Look After You’

From January 2007 the Tyre Industry Council (TIC) will be known as TyreSafe, will raise its profile and will become a more proactively consumer-facing organisation. The news follows decisions from TIC director Peter Taylor and chairman, Brian Smith, to step down at the end of 2006.

TyreSafe has already received support and funding from influential companies including: ATS Euromaster, Continental Tyres, Cooper Tyres, Goodyear Dunlop, Hi-Q, Just Tyres, Kumho Tyres, Michelin, National Tyres & Autocare, Pirelli, Stapletons and Viking International. The organisation is also in talks with other well-known manufacturers, not to mention logistics and leasing companies.

According to a statement released by the organisation, TyreSafe will “address the challenges facing the tyre industry and in particular the issues of corporate responsibility and duty of care legislation as they relate to tyres and their use.”

The new organisation will continue the work started by the TIC, but with an obviously different emphasis. The roadside tread depth checks that the TIC pioneered have served their course, while there will be a renewed emphasis on raising consumer awareness of tyre safety issues and information through the media and specifically the consumer automotive press.

The organisation will also cease to be funded by industry trade associations and instead become more closely linked to companies and organisations in the industry.