LEGISLATION
The Goodyear Dunlop Technical Support team, otherwise know as the ‘Tyre Doctors’, has recently moved from Wolverhampton to Birmingham to be part of the TyreFort operation. And this means a change in phone number for those dealers that want to ‘talk technical’. With immediate effect the number has changed to 0121 306 6890.
The Retail Motor Industry (RMI) has announced the formation of an MOT Working Group, to discuss MOT policy and the future of the test. The group, chaired by RMI’s MOT chairman John Ball, will meet for the first time in November, and will include representatives from a broad cross-section of the MOT testing industry. The announcement follows significant speculation that the government has been reconsidering changing the MOT interval to two years from one at present.
Kwik-Fit has joined tyrepress.com in noting the sudden dive in temperatures experienced across the UK yesterday. The fast-fit chain says drivers should “learn from last winter”, after a new survey conducted on 2,013 people by ICM Research for Kwik-Fit suggests that over 70 per cent of drivers were affected by the weather last winter, with one in three skidding on Britain’s roads. 15 per cent were involved in, or witnessed an accident and 12 per cent only narrowly avoided a collision. Four out of ten drivers had to put off a trip last winter due to the conditions, and one in six had to abandon their journey, according to the survey.
Today the axe fell on UK state spending, with some of the largest cuts in public service budgets in decades. But how will the small, medium and large scale business of the tyre industry be affected? The validity of concerns that some public service fleets are considering altering tyre fitment policies to incorporate changes at 1.6mm rather than 3mmt tread depths have yet to be confirmed. One might think that – quite apart from the clear safety benefits and the cost implications that road traffic injuries bring to public coffers – that the revenues MOT fees bring in may lead the government to reconsider recent talk of doubling the length between MOTs and therefore halving the test fee income. There has been no confirmation of that yet either, but there is some good news when it comes to the taxes businesses have to pay.
Many UK readers of tyrepress.com will have woken up this morning to temperatures approaching freezing point; before the morning drive in Stoke-on-Trent, the hometown of Tyres & Accessories Towers, the sudden need to root out the ice-scraper and turn the blowers up high did not go un-noted. With temperatures to continue in this vein throughout the week, will UK drivers’ thoughts extend beyond the purchase of a new can of demister and head towards the tyres, just as last year’s cold weather brought on a rush to fit more suitable rubber for the conditions?
Germany’s provincial transport ministers have decided upon the introduction of legislation making the use of winter tyres compulsory. The national transport minister, Peter Ramsauer, reports that appropriate changes to Germany’s Highway Code are expected to be implemented by in parliament “as soon as possible.”
Two decades ago, the United States was home to more than one billion stockpiled scrap tyres, and only 11 per cent of the annually generated scrap tyres were sent to an end use market. It was, reminisces the Rubber Manufacturers Association, a situation where the tyre manufacturing industry was contending with a nascent scrap tyre industry – and the US Congress wanted results.
One of the most distinctive trends observed by leading tyre wholesalers during the course of the last year is the increasing size of the mid-range and budget segments. The predictions that a recessionary economy would support a so-called “de-segmentisation” process appear to have been right, with some of the largest distributors reporting that their retail customers are increasingly opting for budget and mid-range tyre purchases having decided to trade-down from the more expensive premium and OE products they may have had before.
Performance Wheels Ltd, which manufacturers and distributes aftermarket Tyresure-branded TPMS units and which launched the Tyresensors.com website earlier this year, has announced plans to further promote their TPMS product range with a stand (71D) at next week’s Brityrex (5 – 7 October, Manchester Central). In order to communicate the tyre pressure monitoring message, the company plans to give away posters for its Tyresure aftermarket TPMS solution, not to mention OE replacement sensor info packs – they will even be giving away an ATEQ Torque tool in an on-stand competition.
With just about a week to go before the UK’s only dedicated tyre exhibition, Brityrex 2010, kicks off media sponsors Tyres & Accessories are proud to publish an online preview version of the of the official show guide. Freely available at tyrepress.com/brityrex.php the comprehensive catalogue contains stand numbers for all those exhibiting, numerous company profiles and floor plan of the exhibition hall.
Following his election as president of the Imported Tyre Manufacturers Association (ITMA) earlier this year, Yokohama HPT managing director David Seward has cast his vision for the future of ITMA. Entitled “The Rebirth of ITMA”, Seward shared this with Tyres & Accessories and we have published it in its entirety both online at tyrepress.com and in the print magazine. One of the key developments will see the association address forthcoming legislative and market challenges by improving relationships with other industry bodies and association has reportedly has already taked on specialist staff (including a Brussels-based technical consultant) to assist with this. Here’s the statement:
"Without a shadow of doubt, the tyre industry is facing a number of significant challenges over the coming years. Whether it is the introduction of mandatory TPMS systems on new vehicles, tyre labelling regulations or other new technical hurdles and challenges, all tyre manufacturers around the globe must have access to accurate and timely information. Without the knowledge or the impetus to act upon any impending legislative changes, products will become non-compliant and made obsolete in an increasingly short timeframe. Manufacturers, importers, wholesalers and retailers operating in an already competitive market simply cannot afford to let this happen.
Bridgestone Europe has released the latest edition of its environmental report. The document, titled ‘Environmental Commitment and Performance’, updates the 2009 version and adds content on the upcoming European tyre labelling legislation, Bridgestone’s new eco-oriented Ecopia tyre range and the company’s environment-related activities in the community.
Nowadays a serious tyre distribution business simply has to have an effective e-commerce system. Many do and many software companies offer perpetually improving versions of their respective systems. Something about Tyreman that caught Tyres & Acessories’ attention was its recent efforts to – excuse the pun – interface with real people as well as all the necessary computer systems and future legislatory requirements.
At the start of 2010 Tyreman announced that development of its Tyreman B2B system had reached the point that an innovative B2B SMS module had been added. This allows a text message to be sent to the mobile phone of a customer who placed an order, confirming that the order has been received and will be dealt with. Not rocket science by today’s standards, but adding in the ability to keep customers up-to-date is valuable because it could be the difference between keeping continuing business or not.
BSI has aired it views on Radio 5 Live and BBC Leeds following a Which? report stating that garages are not correctly servicing cars. According to Which? there is still “incompetence” in UK car garages following an undercover investigation that found nearly 90 per cent of the garages investigated by the consumer watchdog missed (or ignored) at least one potentially dangerous fault. However, the report failed to mention that BSI-operate Kitemark scheme “offers the most robust certification because of its rigorous criteria.”
The Independent Automotive Aftermarket Federation (IAAF) has added its to the growing number of voices questioning the need to alter MOT frequency requirements. For its part the IAAF has written what it describes as a “strongly worded letter” to Transport Minister Michael Penning expressing surprise at the government’s decision to review the MOT test.The review is scheduled for later in the year. Transport Department whip Earl Atlee told the House of Lords in July “we intend to look at the issue of MOT frequencies later this year.”
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