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Has the DfT Got an MOT Screw Loose?

Editorial/Comment

MOT tests need tightening up not dumbing down, if the views of respondents to Tyres & Accessories’ August poll are anything to go by. Last month visitors to T&A’s tyrepress.com website were asked if tyre age should be inspected as part of MOT tests. A whopping 89 per cent of respondents said yes.

We asked the question following last month’s editorial on tyre age, which was triggered by the news that Gloucestershire coroner Alan Crickmore wrote to the DfT recommending more attention be paid to tyre age during MOTs (see Tyres & Accessories August 2010, page 3) and in light of the government’s suggestions that MOT intervals should be increased to two years rather than the current annual requirement. However, our poll results would seem to suggest there isn’t much support for either government moves to spread out the time between MOT tests or its reticence to include tyre age in the MOT requirements.

3rd September 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Morgan Stanley Upgrades Michelin to Overweight, Doubles Target Price

Morgan Stanley analysts have upgraded Michelin shares to “overweight” and more than doubled their target price from 36 – 80 euros, commenting that the French tyre manufacturer “can surprise again.” This means analysts believe Michelin will beat consensus earning projections by more than a fifth: “We expect earnings to come in 20-25 per cent above consensus and cash generation to surprise significantly.”

In an investors note published 25 August, Morgan Stanley’s Eduardo Spina explained that the upgrade is based on the fact that while Michelin stock trades at a roughly 25 per cent discount historically, “high earnings visibility” and pent-up demand contribute to making it attractive. As a result Spin predicts that earnings per share will ramp up to 10 euros by 2012, 25 per cent above the consensus of 8 euros by the same point.

26th August 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

RMI Call For Participation in Online EU MOT Survey

Retail Motor Industry (RMI) MOT chairman John Ball, is urging members, industry colleagues and consumers, to take the opportunity to make their voice heard by participating in an EU MOT survey, which runs from 30 July to 24 September: “This survey is a chance to make clear your view on the importance of the MOT and highlight the potential issues with and reduction in the regularity of testing”.

9th August 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ Surveys Musical Tastes of the British Motorist

More than 200 UK motorists have declared Lenny Kravitz’s ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way’ the best driving anthem of all time, a HiQ survey has revealed. The fast fit network commissioned a survey to discover which track is the most enjoyable to listen to in the car, and the American rocker made a surprise entry at number one. The top five showed the British public is unafraid of flamboyance, with Frankie Goes to Hollywood (Two Tribes) second and Queen (One Vision) third. More laddish rockers Stereophonics finished fourth (Bartender and the Thief) and the Manic Street Preachers came fifth (‘Design for Life’).

30th July 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Robert Halfon MP Says Garages Should Hold Kitemark Standard

Robert Halfon, the MP for Harlow, has Tabled a Motion in Parliament following a radio morning (on Wednesday, 30 June) with consumer motoring champion Quentin Willson debating poor garage servicing.

The news follows survey evidence showing that over half of the British population who have had a car serviced in a garage before are not totally confident that the work they have paid for has been carried out. That’s according to new YouGov research recently commissioned by BSI Kitemark, which throws light on just how wary people have become of garages and what work is actually being done to their cars.

8th July 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Poll Suggests UK Drivers are Sceptical about Eco-Friendly Cars

In a recent online poll conducted on behalf of Bridgestone to coincide with the company’s 2010 Eco Rally, almost a quarter of people (23 per cent) in the UK would not consider buying or driving an eco-friendly vehicle. Of that number, more than four in ten (42 per cent) believe electric or hydrogen-powered cars and motorbikes would be a hassle to fill up or charge. The 2010 Bridgestone Eco Rally takes place on Wednesday, 7 July and showcases the latest in low and zero emission vehicle technology in a convoy from Brighton – which contains the first UK constituency to elect an MP from the Green Party – to London’s Hyde Park.

6th July 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Results of Part Worn Tyre Investigation ‘Extremely Worrying’ – TyreSafe

TyreSafe has reported on the risks associated with buying part worn tyres following revelations from Birmingham City Council that its trading standards officers examined a selection of part worn tyres being sold in the city and found that nine out of ten failed to meet the minimum legal standards. Among the failures uncovered were tyres with embedded nails, illegal tread depth, exposed cords, inadequate markings – and one tyre that was 17 years old. The investigation comes just weeks after TyreSafe found that more than ten per cent of drivers are more likely to buy part worn tyres compared with a year ago.

1st July 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Michelin Gives 1,000 Stoke Workers World Cup Coverage

Michelin’s Stoke-on-Trent facility is taking a flexible approach to its employees’ wish to watch the World Cup match with Slovenia this afternoon. The manufacturer stated that, while it was impossible to allow its workforce to leave the site en masse, line managers have been given the discretion to allow their staff to watch the game on televisions placed around the Campbell Road location.

23rd June 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

British Males Battle to Remain Cool on the Road

Discerning men know that when the lady of the house declares a living room or bedroom to be “cuddly” or “nice and warm”, an evening of stifling heat awaits. A study recently commissioned by Kwik-Fit shows that this divergence in optimal temperature also extends to our vehicles – with similar results to those experienced by British men at home.

17th June 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Birmingham Trading Standards: 90% of Part Worn Tyres are Illegal

Birmingham City Council’s trading standards officers recently found that nine out of ten part worn tyres examined in an inspection failed to meet the minimum legal standards. In response industry body TyreSafe is publicising the results of the investigation in order to raise awareness of what it calls “the high levels of risk associated with buying part worn tyres.”

According to Birmingham City Council’s trading standards officers, tyres which had nails embedded, illegal tread depth, exposed cords, inadequate markings and one tyre which was 17 years old were among the failures. The investigation comes just a few weeks after TyreSafe found that more than one in ten drivers was more likely to buy part worn tyres compared with 12 months ago.

The investigation formed part of an ongoing programme by Birmingham City Council to target sales of part worn tyres. This year was its ninth annual investigation and saw it buy 10 tyres from retailers across the city. Over the course of the entire programme, the team bought and tested more than 190 part worn tyres with 25 per cent found to have “some form of structural defect.” In this year’s survey 30 per cent of tyres had structural failings including illegal tread depth and a nail embedded in the casing while 90 per cent did not have the correct markings required by law, which identify them as a part worn tyre.

3rd June 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

US Consumer Confidence Rises, But Experts See Storm Ahead

US consumer confidence rose in May, the third straight month for plus results according to the Conference Board’s monthly survey, says Tire Review. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index rose to 63.3 in May, well up from April’s 57.7 mark. And consumer outlook for the next six months also rose, reaching 85.3 up from last month’s 77.4 result, the highest outlook result since August 2007.

26th May 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Varta the Second Most Popular Brand in Germany

Varta car batteries are the second most popular battery brand in Europe’s largest car market, according to the latest readership survey in one of Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport. The annual focused on battery brands and workshops. Nearly 100,000 car drivers ranked Varta second only to Bosch in terms of performance and positive image. Positive responses by readers to the brand rose 3.4 per cent to 69.2 per cent compared to the previous survey.

21st May 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Seasonal Tyres, TPMS Keep Inflation Under Control

This week Canadians are being reminded to “be smart” about tyres. A national safety awareness campaign, Be Tire Smart Week, began on May 17, and to mark the occasion the Rubber Association of Canada (RAC) has released a nationwide study that shows Canadian drivers are getting the message about the importance of correct tyre inflation and maintenance upon road safety, fuel efficiency and environmental protection. This study shows that the number of private vehicles running on improperly inflated tyres has fallen dramatically since 2003.

19th May 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Bartec TPMS Tool Covers Nissan and Infiniti

Bartec USA, LLC announces the latest software update for its Tech400 TPMS re-learn tool. With this latest software update, the Tech400 tool reportedly provides market leading TPMS coverage of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles. According to the company, this is perfect timing because a recent survey conducted by the Equipment and Tool Institute (www.etools.org) found 53 per cent of the respondents concluded that Nissan and Infiniti vehicles are the most difficult to work with.

4th May 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Forbes Ranks Goodyear 40th “Most Reputable” US Company

Forbes Magazine has published its fifth annual list of the companies with the best reputation in the USA, with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company ranked 40th. Goodyear says the list is based on the Reputation Institute’s US Reputation Pulse consumer opinion survey, which aims to measure the overall respect, trust, esteem, admiration and good feelings consumers hold toward the country’s 150 largest companies.

23rd April 2010/by Tyrepress Editors