TYRE SAFETY
Starting today, Twitter users can keep up to date on the latest happenings at Yokohama Rubber. The Japanese company announced the opening of its official English language Twitter account on September 20 and said it will use it to “disseminate information on its various business activities globally.”
Yesterday (7 September, 2011) marked the first TyreSafe quarterly industry briefing, during which chairman Stuart Jackson and a range of guest speakers spoke of the organisation’s past and future work in promoting tyre safety in the UK. In preparation for this October’s tyre safety month, TyreSafe has launched its new website, www.tyresafe.org – introduced by Jackson during the briefing – which includes a cleaner layout, easier navigation, and access to a range of media resources, such as new animated videos of the crash test dummy family the McIntyres explaining how motorists can examine tyres at home.
A survey conducted by HiQ suggests that one in two British motorists are risking thousands of pounds’ worth of fines and potential driving bans by making journeys on dangerously worn tyres. 42 per cent of cars surveyed had at least one illegal tyre, with major areas of concern in the Birmingham, north east and Cheshire areas of the UK. The results are significantly up from HiQ’s last audit in 2009, when 27 per cent of motorists were driving on illegal tyres. HiQ’s retail development manager Farrell Dolan said that the results proved that despite years of highlighting the danger of bare, worn tyres, the safety message is still not getting through, saying that now the company will alter the tyre safety message it transmits to its customers.
Although a regimen of over-cautiousness seems de rigueur in parenting these days, when it comes to children and road safety the average mother takes a more casual attitude. A recent US survey conducted by Cooper Tire & Rubber in partnership with the websites Cars.com and MotherProof.com showed only one per cent of mums consider automotive maintenance as a priority in "keeping their children safe" – and none specifically mentioned tyre maintenance as a priority.
Two months after the crash in Germany involving one of a pair of blimps leased to Goodyear and the subsequent termination of the company's blimp-related tyre safety campaign, the remaining craft has returned to UK skies. According to Goodyear Dunlop pr support manager Kate Rock, the Lightship Group-owned blimp has returned from a trip to Spain and is currently in the UK participating in a series of flights to evaluate filming locations for future tours. Goodyear Dunlop is not actively promoting the blimp in the UK at the moment, Rock added.
The director of Caparo T1 Cars has spoken of his admiration for Toyo’s road-legal Proxes R888 tyre, which was fitted to the Caparo T1 for the Goodwood Hill Climb, Matt Cummings, director, Caparo T1 Cars Ltd said: “It's the next best thing to fitting a full on racing slick to our Caparo T1. If that sounds like a compromise, it isn't. Because what you never forget, is like the T1, the Toyo R888 is fully road legal. The Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2011 was a great opportunity for us to demonstrate the amazing capabilities of the T1 and the Toyo Proxes R888.”
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.
Peugeot and Citroën have demonstrated their support of TyreSafe by becoming members, taking the number of vehicle manufacturers in road safety association up to 15. As members, they will seek to educate all of their existing customers about the importance of correct tyre maintenance, utilising both their own individual and TyreSafe campaign materials.
The British Horse Society, the UK’s largest equine charity, has teamed up with TyreSafe to educate both amateur and professional horse owners about the importance of correct tyre maintenance and care for their vehicles.
The new partnership has been launched to coincide with Equifest 2011, which takes place from the 18th to 21st August at the East of England Showground in Peterborough. At the event, the Society will distribute TyreSafe’s leaflets offering visitors specific tyre safety advice and information in respect of horseboxes and trailers.
TyreSafe has announced that the UK’s Chief Fire Officers Association has become the newest member of TyreSafe. CFOA’s National Fire and Road Safety Day takes place on Friday, 22 July where tyre safety will be heavily promoted. The nationwide event has two key messages: the dangers of driving too fast and also keeping a safe distance behind the vehicle in front. TyreSafe says tyres have an important role to play in both these areas. Fire Service staff will be found at motorway service stations, larger petrol stations, city centre locations and retail parks across the country throughout the day, distributing TyreSafe leaflets and provide advice to drivers.
TyreSafe has announced that it will begin quarterly communications briefings on 7 September, issuing an open invitation to existing TyreSafe members and other interested parties such as road safety professionals, fleets or even company HR managers. The briefing will tackle the organisation’s upcoming campaigns, launching campaign materials for this October’s tyre safety month, the organisation’s new website and a range of online resources, and is designed to allow members and non-members alike to plan and integrate their own activities around them. Anybody wishing to attend the free event can do so by registering with TyreSafe by calling 01787 226995.
TyreSafe has given motorists a pre-holiday check list for tyres, including tread depth, inflation and condition tips. “Whether you’re heading overseas in your car, or staying in the UK, correct tyre maintenance is vital to reduce the risk of being stranded by the roadside or involved in an accident as a result of a tyre related issue,” says Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe. “Thankfully though, important pre-travel checks which can prevent such problems are simple to do and only take a few minutes to perform.”
TyreSafe has advised motorcyclists that the extra weight resulting from a pillion passenger or pannier loads – common in holiday season – means that tyre pressures should be checked and adjusted accordingly against the bike manufacturers’ recommended levels. Under-inflation (or overloading) over a long period may cause rapid shoulder wear, excessive flexing and deterioration of the casing, which can pose a serious safety risk for bikers. Conversely, over-inflation may result in a reduced contact patch on the road and accelerated wear in the centre of the tread. The tyre could also be more susceptible to impact damage, as well as providing an uncomfortable ride.
A team of NASA scientists have been honoured for a development that has the potential to further increase tyre safety. The scientists, which are based at NASA’s Langley Research Center, were named winners of the 49th Annual R&D 100 Award for their work in developing the “SansEC Temperature Sensor.”
A Bridgestone survey derived from 38,000 tyre safety checks carried out by Bridgestone in nine European countries suggests that 71 per cent of motorists are driving on under-inflated tyres. Almost 12 per cent are also worn down below the EU legal minimum of 1.6 mm tread depth. “These figures are particularly alarming at this time of year,” says Des Collins, vice president European Communications Office, Bridgestone Europe, “as families set off on long journeys with heavily-loaded cars. It is important for the safety of motorists that they check their tyres before leaving.”
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