Yokohama-shod Jarkko Nikara claimed his first class victory, four minutes ahead of the next Production Cup driver, in the 2012 Intercontinental Rally Challenge Production Cup, claiming fifth overall on the San Marino Rally. Nikara and co-driver Jarkko Kalliolepo led the event from the first stage in their Tommi Makinen Racing Subaru Impreza R4 and claimed the Japanese brand's first event win of 2012 with a margin of more than four minutes.
Hello tyre label, and welcome. As of this week, the roll out of the European tyre label begins in earnest as manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers count down the final four months before its compulsory implementation.
Richard Hayes, the incoming president of the Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE), has certainly started his term with a bang by calling for HGVs to be banned from UK motorways on Sundays and has written to Roads Minister Mike Penning, asking for the Department of Transport to investigate the possibility.
Avon Tyres is stressing the importance to motorcyclists of fitting the appropriate tyres to their bikes this summer. Peter McNally, Avon Tyres’ technical product manager for motorcycle tyres, comments: “We see many people on sportsbikes today who ‘over-tyre’ their bikes on the road. This means they’re using machines with tyres that are effectively race tyres but using them on the road or on the occasional trackday.
TyreSafe has sealed the deal on another new member. Tyre sealant supplier Air-Seal Products joined the tyre retailers and distributors, car manufacturers, insurers and public bodies promoting tyre safety already in the not-for-profit organisation. “Air-Seal Products will be a valuable addition to TyreSafe, says chairman Stuart Jackson. “Indeed, it seems particularly appropriate that Air-Seal should join TyreSafe as its products are designed to prevent punctures and have a heavy emphasis on making driving safer.
Collision-avoidance technologies, which could help eliminate cyclist and pedestrian deaths caused by driver 'blind-spots', should be made mandatory for all UK buses and lorries by 2015, according to a new report from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The 'Intelligent Transport Intelligent Society' report also calls for automated emergency response systems to be integrated into all new road vehicles within the next two years. These systems automatically alert emergency services in case of an accident – even if a driver is unconscious – as well as providing the exact location of the accident using Global Positioning Systems (GPS).
Motorists have lifted the lid on some of the more extraordinary dangers facing them on the UK’s roads last year including a kamikaze duck, an "evil pheasant" and…Susan Boyle.
Customer calls to Autoglass reveal that some drivers were their own worst enemies with one actually shattering his windscreen from the inside….after accidentally firing his shotgun.
The mishaps were among a series of wacky explanations given to the leading automotive services company from drivers with damaged vehicle glass last year.
Russian tyre maker Tatneft has announced the introduction of a new tyre range and new sizes in several of its product lines. All new for 2012 is a 4×4 range from its Viatti brand. The Viatti Bosco A/T will debut in a size 205/70R15 fitment. Tatneft says this new range has been specially designed for the growing crossover utility vehicle segment and is said to combine comfort with a quiet, stable and efficient ride. It is also able to withstand heavy loads, the manufacturer states.
It’s been reported that numerous councils across England are reducing spending on winter road services such as gritting – some by as much as 30 per cent. Commenting on these planned cutbacks, Michelin says there has never been a better time for motorists to fit cold weather tyres.
Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority cites tyre related issues as a serious contributory factor to road accidents within the emirate, and in response the agency has launched a ‘Tire Soundness’ campaign, which will run until the end of August. According to the RTA, learner drivers and driving instructions are a particular focus for this campaign and will be targeted through driving schools, or driving institutes as they are known in Dubai. In particular, instructors at driving schools will be educated on the key points of tyre inspection and the factors contributing to tyre wear or failure.
The Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC), run by the country’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), has launched its second annual “Your Safety” tyre campaign in partnership with Al Dobowi Tyre Company. The aim of the Your Safety campaign is to educate taxi drivers on techniques for correctly inspecting tyres before starting a day’s work. Another goal is to stress the important role tyres play in vehicle safety.
Nankang Rubber Tire has launched a new asymmetric winter tyre, the ESSN-1. The manufacturer says the tyre offers superior performance in “all extreme winter conditions, including curvy roads covered in ice, wet, and snow”. The tyre has zigzag 3D siping to optimise tread element stiffness and handling. The outside tread pattern strengthens cornering manoeuvrability, and the inside enhances straight-line stability with riding comfort. It also benefits from a patent tread compound with stiff natural kernel powder, promoting “ice-lodging ability to enhance traction”.
For more than 30 years Bridgestone Americas has celebrated the ingenuity of its employees at the Annual Bridgestone Americas Inventors Night. This year’s event recognised the innovative efforts of 86 employees, whose work led to 74 United States patents being issued in 2010 and the development of numerous trade secrets. These 74 patents, the tyre maker notes, are numerically sufficient to rank Bridgestone Americas in the top 300 organisations worldwide to be granted US patents according to the Intellectual Property Owners annual rankings.
Last weekend’s BSB round at Oulton Park provided a “best ever” moment for Maxxis-sponsored team MSS Colchester Kawasaki. The tyre maker reports that team rider Stuart Easton, having secured the new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R’s first podium in the 2011 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship with a third place in race one, followed up with an even better performance in the second race and led for the majority of laps before finishing second overall. This was, Maxxis states, the team’s best ever Superbike finish.
Two days ago Germany’s recently amended winter tyre regulations came into force, and the first driver (that Tyres & Accessories knows of) has been caught out – in circumstances he won’t forget in a hurry. The 32-year old driver of a car fitted with summer tyres (which in Germany are now illegal when used on hard-packed snow, slush, black ice and frost covered roads) lost control of his vehicle on an icy road in the city of Düsseldorf. He possibly would have avoided a fine and demerit points taken from his license had the incorrectly-equipped car not gone into a skid and rammed a parked police car.
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