Bridgestone Promotes Safe and Green at Geneva

Bridgestone has used the opportunity afforded by the Geneva Motor Show to feature road safety exhibits alongside its latest products. 2007 was the third year for the company’s Think Before You Drive road safety campaign, and the year’s activities have been reviewed in detail; these include the findings from the approximately 70,000 tyre safety checks conducted throughout Europe between 2005 and 2007. This joint Bridgestone / FIA Foundation (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) initiative is aimed at reducing road accidents by promoting simple safety procedures, including correct tyre care. The tyre safety check findings are projected to illustrate how tyre maintenance can contribute to what Bridgestone calls a ‘safer and greener’ society.

Another environmental emphasis comes in the form of Bridgestone’s new “Ecopia” concept tyre, in size 175/60R16. This specially designed tyre is fitted on the “iQ” displayed in the Toyota booth in Geneva. The Toyota “iQ” aims to reduce CO2 emissions through substantially improved fuel efficiency, and the Ecopia focuses upon improving rolling resistance while ensuring high safety and comfort performance.

These concept tyre was displayed in addition to more market ready products from the tyre major, including the company’s latest Potenza RE050A and Dueler Sport run-flat tyres, which were displayed alongside Bridgestone’s core range of summer and winter tyres for passenger cars and 4×4’s. Next to the run-flat tyres, visitors were given the opportunity to view Bridgestone’s ‘Cooling Fin’ technology and discover how this run-flat safety system reduces the tyre’s sidewall temperature when running with reduced air pressure, thereby making sidewall-reinforced type run-flat tyres more suitable for SUV’s, CUV’s and larger passenger cars.