Apollo Registers Tyre Pressure Safety Concerns on Indian Market

One of India’s largest tyre manufacturers has released a statement looking at the link between the 250-plus deaths that occur on the country’s roads every day and the recently observed statistic that 75 per cent of vehicles run on incorrect tyre pressure. Apollo Tyres’ survey found that amongst 36,000 tyres tested over six months, “only 22 per cent of cars… had with the OE recommended inflation.” The company suggests that while the winter season sees the highest number of road accidents, with “fog, cold, roadside revelry and…drinking and driving… the major causes”, perhaps incorrect tyre pressure should also be addressed as part of the problem. Apollo began the self-titled “Safe Drive” programme in 2006 “to educate and create awareness on the benefits of proper tyre care among passenger car and commercial vehicle users.”

The company’s statement says: “While it is difficult to put a precise figure to exactly how many accidents on Indian roads are directly due to incorrect tyre pressure; with under or over-inflated tyres on passenger vehicles being a norm in India, the correlation is probably very high! Over-inflated tyres decrease braking efficiency and are prone to bursts at high speeds resulting in collisions. Under-inflated or deflated tyres have poor vehicle handling leading to accidents due to lack of control.”

Satish Sharma, chief, India Operations at Apollo Tyres said that the results were “very scary”: “The level of apathy and ignorance amongst Indian drivers could easily be the leading cause of accidents on our roads. The alarming numbers have forced us to go public with this data. Going forward, every year we will be sharing similar data, and are stepping up our work under the Apollo Safe Drive initiative to further raise awareness.”

So far, Apollo Safe Drive has conducted over 626 campaigns across India with direct contact with nearly 85,000 customers. It’s latest six-month survey of 36,000 tyres, on 9,000 passenger vehicles across India’s 50 largest cities revealed that almost 44 per cent of car tyres were over-inflated, while the remaining 34 per cent – given that 22 per cent were at the correct pressure – were under-inflated. “Apart from running a higher risk of accidents due to loss of control, improper air pressure also leads to tyre damage, requiring faster replacement,” continues Apollo’s statement. “Additionally, under-inflated tyres have increased rolling resistance, requiring more fuel to maintain the same speed -– adversely affecting fuel efficiency.”

The data was collected from a cross-section of the personal vehicle driving population in housing societies, petrol pumps, corporate houses and highways during morning or evening hours, when the tyres were cold. The Transportation Research & Injury Prevention Programme in IIT-Delhi, estimates that deaths due to road accidents in India is rising by 8 per cent every year and costs the nation 3 per cent of India’s GDP.