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Roadrunner Tyres Celebrates Back-to-Back Show Success

A Lancashire tyre dealership is celebrating back-to-back success at a local country show after impressing judges with a colourful stand promoting road safety. It is the second year running Cabus-based Roadrunner Tyres has secured the ‘best trade display’ accolade at the annual Great Eccleston Agricultural Show.

The First Stop dealership used this year’s event (14/15 July) to support network partner Bridgestone’s global Think Before You Drive campaign, which encourages motorists to regularly check the pressure, grip and condition of their tyres. Employees were joined by a crash test dummy, who helped technicians pass on vital safety advice. The Roadrunner Tyres team also used the event to raise awareness of its specialist off-road and agricultural tyre services.

26th July 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Drivers Think Speed Limit is Too Low

Half of UK drivers believe that the current speed limit for motorways is too low, a survey by tyre specialist, HiQ, has revealed. Fast fit specialist HiQ, carried out the questionnaire in centres throughout its national network in order to determine just how much drivers knew about UK speed limits. The results demonstrated that UK drivers were on the whole, extremely knowledgeable about speed limits, despite some drivers believing there should be changes to current limits.

The most striking call for change was in motorway limits where, according to the survey, 51 per cent of drivers believed that the current motorway speed limit of 70mph was too low, with 37 per cent believing the limit should be increased to 80mph. A small minority of those questioned thought that the limit should be increased to 100mph or that there should be no restrictions at all.

18th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Hi-Q Branch Installs Hunter Aligner

One of the UK’s leading fast fit operators, Hi-Q, is not only helping Gloucester drivers remain safe, but also keep their fuel costs down after the latest Hunter imaging aligner, from Pro-Align, was installed at its Woodrow Way, Bristol Road store.

“This new equipment represents a major investment in our customer service. We can now re-set vehicle settings in line with the vehicle manufactures recommendations. It also identifies any problems that may need addressing, which we can then discuss with our customers,” commented Store Manager David Giess

The Hunter DSP600 Wheel Alignment system utilises four digital cameras which give a fast, detailed measurement and diagnosis. For motorists this means waiting times are significantly reduced as the process takes only minutes from set up to live readings. Results are provided in easy to read graphical print-out and give a comprehensive assessment of all suspension and steering angles.

13th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

A Word of Summer Caution From Conti

Summer is here and motorists are more inclined to spend time in the great outdoors. This of course provides plenty of scope for vehicles to become plastered with dirt and mud, and the more fastidious drivers amongst us will be giving their vehicles a good many hose downs during these warmer months.

However washing a car can undermine the structural integrity of the vehicle’s tyres, and the German tyremaker Continental has released a timely reminder of the risks of hosing down tyres using high-pressure water. Continental recommends a minimum distance of 20 centimetres (8-inches) between the spray nozzle and tyre when using a high-pressure hose, otherwise damage to the sidewall may occur. Conti further points out that the detergents used can also create problems as they may penetrate between the tyre and the rim flange, potentially causing the tyre to move on the rim during breaking or acceleration.

12th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Motorists Urged to Remember Tyres

June 5 to 12 is Auto Safety Week in the Australian state of Victoria, and this year the campaign is placing a heavy emphasis on tyre safety. As part of the program motorists are being given a timely reminder of the same important safety issues that would sound very familiar to – and are unfortunately largely ignored by – drivers in most countries.

Appropriate tyre maintenance is no less overlooked in Australia than in other parts of the world, and the preliminary results of an ongoing test conducted by the business group VACC (Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce) and motorists’ organisation RACV (Royal Automobile Club of Victoria) confirm the finding of previous surveys, showing that one in every five cars on the roads in the state of Victoria are fitted with at least one unroadworthy tyre, while a further twenty per cent of vehicles have at least one tyre that has reached the end of its safe working life. Even more disturbing was the finding that more than half of those motorists stopped as part of the test said they did not know how, or when, to check their tyres.

6th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Dubai Authorities Plan Tyre Safety Campaign

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has finalised preparations for the launch of a two-month campaign to create awareness about the importance of tyre safety in order to avoid accidents. According to the Khaleej Times, Maitha bin Udai, executive director of the Traffic and Road Agency, RTA, said the campaign would feature a comprehensive programme, including a permanent traffic exhibition. A message, to be displayed at more than 300 sites, will tell motorists that excess luggage and passengers or failure to make proper maintenance of the vehicle run counter to traffic safety rules.

She said the campaign, which will be launched in association with the Nasser Abdul Lateef Al Serkal Establishment and a number of companies connected with road users’ safety, will conduct random patrols to advise motorists on the validity and road-worthiness of their vehicles’ tyres. These patrols, she said, will comprise supervisors from the RTA awareness section and tyremaker, Bridgestone. They will offer a tyre examination service to all motorists regardless of the brand of tyres.

5th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyre Smart in Norfolk

Motorists in the coastal town of Great Yarmouth are being offered hands-on advice to make them more safety conscious and, in particular, tyre aware. Technicians at Kingsway Tyres are sharing their expertise at driver awareness evenings in association with First Stop partner Bridgestone. As well as picking up basic maintenance tips, drivers are being taught how to carry out regular checks that can save them money and might even save their lives.

“We’re covering everyday scenarios like how to change a tyre, how to check the tyre tread depth and pressure, and how to check oil levels and water levels – things we all ought to really know about, but often don’t,” said Mark Buckenham, manager of Kingsway Great Yarmouth. “The evenings are hands-on, but relaxed. One of the key elements of the course is that motorists get to practice on their own car to make them feel more comfortable should a problem arise. The focus is simply making them better prepared rather than expert mechanics.”

5th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Study Suggests Many Second Hand Tyres Unfit for Re-Sale

According to the results of a regional study a high proportion of the partially worn second hand tyres sold in the UK each year fail to meet current safety standards, and if this study is representative of the nationwide situation as many as 600,000 of these unsafe tyres may be on sale throughout the UK each year.

A recent survey of suppliers conducted by the Lincolnshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service, with support from TyreSafe, revealed that some 30 per cent of the inspected part worn tyres were found to possess serious defects that could pose a safety risk when fitted to a vehicle. Much of the damage found by the Trading Standards Service was of a type not detectable by visual inspection and included unsafe repairs, damage to the tyre’s bead area that reduced its ability to maintain pressure whilst on the rim, and tyres possessing structural damaged caused through being run in when deflated. The thoroughness of the examination each tyre receives before being sold has also been called into question, as have been the qualifications and ability of the examiners whose job it is to identify faults.

5th June 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Avon Offers to Keep Performance Cars Cool With Winter Products

Avon Tyres has expanded its cold-weather programme with the addition of new sizes to fit a broad variety of popular high performance cars and 4x4s. Introduced to tackle the precarious driving conditions motorists face from November onwards, the Ice Touring ST and the Ranger Ice have been introduced for high performance saloon cars and 4x4s, respectively.

The Ice Touring ST’s specially-engineered tread pattern is designed to deliver grip and handling in winter temperatures. Its high silica content, together with extensive siping, helps keep the tread blocks flexible at very low winter temperatures, which aids grip in the wet and traction in the snow. Wide spacing of the tread blocks also helps prevent the tread clogging up with snow.

30th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Borrowed Safety

Tyres & Accessories has previously reported on the problem of unsafe used tyres offered for sale in a number of African countries and the resultant risk to life and limb, and therefore we were interested to learn of one company’s plans to offer an alternative to these hazardous items. Dunlop Nigeria and Oceanic Bank International have launched a collaborative venture which they hope will make it easier for motorists to obtain new tyres rather than relying on their used counterparts.

The collaborative effort, to be known as the Dunlop Tyre Acquisition Scheme (D-TAC) was recently launched in Nigeria and Lagos, and provides a means by which customers can purchase Dunlop tyres at a discounted rate using the bank’s credit facilities, a means of purchase that has yet to gain wide acceptance in these countries. Under the terms of the financing deal arranged by D-TAC motorists will pay just a fraction of the cost of their new Dunlop tyres up front, bringing safe tyres within the reach of many who could otherwise not afford them.

23rd May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Mini Goes Large at Oulton Park

This bank holiday the British Dunlop Motorsport Festival of 2007 hits Oulton Park in Cheshire on the forthcoming Bank Holiday Monday. After the season’s opening gathering at Snetterton in Norfolk, organizers are expecting another strong crowd to gorge themselves on a feast of Sports car racing, Production Saloon car racing, Mini racing, in fact a wall to wall racing spectacular from nine o’clock in the morning right through until six in the evening.

The action isn’t confined to the track either; also on the bill is the return of the popular Dunlop Great & British Mini Festival. Last year hundreds of Mini owners and their passengers took part in special parade laps around many of the country’s top racetracks and at Oulton Park they’ll be able to do the same again.

On the race front Scotland’s Oli Mortimer will be looking to continue his domination of the Mini Challenge championship. The promising youngster won all three races in his Cooper S at the recent Snetterton meeting and is out for more of the same at Oulton.

21st May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyres Under Inflated and Insufficiently Checked – Study

Yet another reminder of the importance of frequently checking tyre pressure has come from the results of a survey conducted by the Institute of Advanced Motorists’ Trust. The survey of approximately 500 drivers showed that on average only 18 per cent of men and 4 per cent of women are checking vehicle tyre pressure once a week, the recommended frequency. And only a minority of motorists – 37 per cent of men and 32 per cent of women – conduct monthly pressure checks.

Air pressure facilities at garages were found to be largely accurate, with 80 per cent accurate to within 5 psi at 30 psi, and almost all the others accurate to within 7 psi. However the majority of motorists appear to be unaware that the recommended inflation pressures given by car manufacturers and at garage facilities are for “cold” levels, when even a short drive from home to the garage can cause tyres to become heated. The result of inflating heated tyres to cold levels is that they can end up being between 12 and 15 per cent under inflated.

16th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Free 30-Day Trial on Cooper 4×4 Tyres

Cooper Tire is so confident in the performance of its acclaimed 4×4 range of tyres that it is now offering an innovative new money-back guarantee. Buy any four new Cooper 4×4 tyres from its extensive range of both on and off road 4×4 tyres from an authorised Cooper Tire dealer in the UK, and if the customer is not completely happy with them, they can return them to their dealer within 30 days for a full refund.

Commenting on the new initiative Tom Edwards Cooper Tire’s UK marketing manager said: ”We understand that for any customer buying 4×4 tyres is a big expense and they want to get it right, so we are offering them the chance to try our tyres without the usual risk associated with getting stuck with something you are not completely happy with. As one of the world’s largest 4×4 tyre manufacturers, we are more than confident in our tyres’ performance and we are prepared to put our money where our mouth is.”

16th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Kwik-Fit Fleet Offers Air Conditioning Recharging Service

Kwik-Fit Fleet has expanded its range of services to company car and van drivers with the introduction of air conditioning recharging. Available at all of Kwik-Fit’s 670 High Street centres nationwide, the while-you-wait recharge costs £44.95 including VAT on any make or model of vehicle. The fixed price is up to 70 per cent cheaper than equivalent prices at some franchise dealers, according to the company’s research.

Air conditioning recharging has been piloted at 100 Kwik-Fit centres in London and the South East of England since summer last year. Now demand from customers has resulted in Britain’s largest independent fast-fit company rolling out the service UK-wide.

Vehicle manufacturers typically recommend an air conditioning recharge every two years as up to 20 per cent of refrigerant can permeate through vehicle hoses even without a leak, which will impact on the in-car temperature.

11th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors

Tyre Industry Welcomes Continued Use of Non-Metric Units

Non-metric units have received a welcome stay of execution from the European commission, a letter from the commission, made public last night reveals. The commission had been proposing to ban the use of non-metric units (including inches) with effect from the end of 2009. The news that this move has now been dropped indefinitely has been welcomed by the tyre industry.

The Tyre Industry Federation (TIF) lobbied strongly on behalf of the tyre industry that no longer permitting the use of non-metric units would have a severe impact on both the industry itself and the users of the product.

9th May 2007/by Tyrepress Editors