TYRE SAFETY
With a view towards improving safety standards and raising awareness of the law relating to part-worn tyres, Cumbria County Councilâs Trading Standards team and Cumbria Police plan to visit tyre retailers throughout February.
One of the UKâs leading vehicle leasing and fleet management companies, Zenith has hosted the Michelin Fill Up With Air roadshow to educate its employees about the importance of regular tyre inspections. The leasing company is running an environmental campaign designed to significantly reduce its carbon emissions while encouraging safer driving. Its new environmental awareness initiative is part of its CSR policy encouraging all employees to play their part in reducing carbon emissions. The business manages more than 38,000 vehicles across the UK.
TyreSafe has announced that GiTi Tire has become its first new member in 2013. The companyâs managing director â Europe Richard Lyons said that GiTi was demonstrating its commitment to customersâ safety and its productsâ quality by joining the organisation. TyreSafe chairman Stuart Jackson pronounced himself âdelighted to welcome GiTi Tire on board as a key memberâ. TyreSafe will continue to run a number of campaigns targeting wider awareness of tyre safety, including Octoberâs Tyre Safety Month. The organisationâs major focus this year is on promoting tyre safety to young drivers, following its high-profile demonstrations of the hidden dangers of part-worn tyres.
Continental presented its estimation that the UK car, 4×4 and van tyre market remains worth around 33 million tyres at the launch of its partnership tyre supply deal with Mercedes-Benz World, a performance demonstration facility on the historical site of the Brooklands circuit. This number is similar to 2011, though Conti noted several trends affecting the make-up of this figure in 2012, most notably the growth in part worn tyre sales, estimated to represent just under 10 per cent of the total market. Initial signs of the impact of tyre labelling, introduced as a mandatory measure in November, are minimal, with premium segment sales holding up. Conti calls any current definitive assessment too early to truly assess, however premium tyre sales have held up well. Meanwhile the quality segment has come under pressure from aggressive pricing on either side, with brands in this segment struggling to maintain share, according to Conti.
During November and December Michelin Training Instructor Carl Williams visited Tanzania with Transaid to teach much-needed tyre safety skills. In this exclusive diary feature, he shares his experience with Tyres & Accessories.
The motivation behind transport industry charity Transaidâs involvement in African and Tanzania in particular is clear. Road deaths are the third biggest premature killer in sub-Saharan Africa. And this led to Carl Williamsâ decision to volunteer within Michelin to visit Tanzania, located on the east coast of the continent, to help improve road safety. As one of the projectâs supporters, Michelin agreed to send Williams on two-week secondment during November and December, teaching local driver trainers and road safety enforcers about correct tyre management and how to improve tyre safety in Tanzaniaâs largest city, Dar es Salaam.
In a year end review, Continental Tyresâ Arthur Gregg used the word âchallengingâ to describe the UK and Ireland commercial vehicle tyre market. Yet at the same time he painted a positive picture of fleet operators adjusting to tough economic times and of a company that continues to develop and introduce new products in line with the many changes occurring in the market.
The perils of entrusting your safety to part-worn tyres will receive the Beebâs attention today, at least in part of the country. At 7.30pm this evening (3 December), BBC Inside Out West Midlands will present a motoring-themed show, with one of three articles asking the question many in our industry already know the answer to: How safe are part-worn tyres?
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Tyre Wholesalers Group chairman Ashley Croft has called upon the tyre industry to campaign for greater attention to be paid to poorly maintained tyres after Department for Transport figures showed an increase in the number of Killed and Seriously Injured in 2011 where âillegal, defective or under-inflated tyresâ were a contributory factor. The chairman also addressed the issue du jour, EU labelling legislation, and while he expressed support for the tyre label and supported the wish to scrutinise the grades on labels, he also suggested that it was not âthe number one priority of the tyre industryâ.
TyreSafeâs 2012 tyre safety month âreached new levels ofâŠparticipationâ, according to the industry body. A record amount of printed point-of-sale material, including 200,000 leaflets and posters, were distributed to those in the tyre industry, particularly to participating tyre retailers and workshops offering free tyre safety checks to car owners.
Tyre retailer Merityre Specialists Ltd, which has 22 branches across southern England, has joined TyreSafe. Commenting on its reasons for joining Tyresafe, the retailerâs director Noel Pope said that âEducating motorists about safe driving should be a priority for all businesses connected to the automotive industry, especially those at the sharp end who have face-to-face contact with the public. Itâs vital that drivers understand just how safety critical tyres are to a carâs handling and the performance of the tyre should be high on the agenda when it comes to their purchase.â
As the winter nights draw in and the country gets ready to go back to GMT, TyreSafe is reminding drivers that it's not just their clocks that may need changing. Now is also the ideal time to check if their tyres are legal and safe enough to carry them through the winter months when road conditions become more treacherous and accident levels typically increase.
When National Tyre Distributors Association (NTDA) chairman Stephen Callow made his debut speech at the associationâs 83rd annual dinner it may not of been long, but it was to the point. Callow used the opportunity to criticise what he termed as the "frightening and unacceptable" numbers of part worn tyres on sale in the UK.
He told the 500 plus members and guests, gathered for the dinner and Tyre And Fast Fit (TAFF) awards that run in parallel at the Hilton Hotel, Deansgate that market studies put the number of part worn tyres sold annually in the UK at over three million. Of course, other sources put the figure even higher.
TyreSafe chairman, Stuart Jackson has commended Cornwall Council Road Safety Team for its tyre safety roadshow in partnership with Devon & Cornwall Police and Steve Andrews Tyres, marking Octoberâs Tyre Safety Month. Cornish shoppers at three of the largest UK supermarkets will have the opportunity to have their tyres checked for free.
According to TyreSafe, a record number of garages and tyre retailers are showing their support for this yearâs Tyre Safety Month by offering free tyre safety checks to motorists. The safety inspections are just one part of this year's campaign, which is trying to help drivers stay safe on the roads as we approach the wettest and most treacherous months of the year.
Continental Tyres has been named as âPartner in Excellenceâ of Mercedes-Benz World, the brand experience centre located at the Brooklands motor racing circuit in Weybridge. According to Mercedes, this means Continental will supply tyres for all Mercedes-Benz vehicles used in the driving experiences both on the circuits and challenging 4×4 off-road terrain. As the lead tyre development partner for Mercedes-AMG division, Continental is said to be well placed to serve the many and varied demands of the entire Mercedes-Benz driving experience range.
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