TYRE SAFETY
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.”
Tyre safety will be a key theme at the joint Protyre/Toyo Tires stand at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. The independent retailer and the tyre maker have opted to promote this topic in response to the increasing number of cars on UK roads with illegal or badly worn tyres; to get their message across, the two companies have devised an exclusive game that invites customers to the stand to select the stopping distances with different levels of tread depth from 0.9mm to 6.7mm.
TyreSafe chairman Stuart Jackson has presented its annual award to PC Shaun McKeown, Forensic Vehicle Examiner for Cumbria Police Collision Investigation Unit, and Sgt Graeme Hodgson from the Roads Policing Unit at the Tyre Recovery Association’s annual dinner held at St Johns Hotel in Solihull on 17 June. Jackson said: “Our thanks go to Cumbria Constabulary for its relentless drive in supporting tyre safety. Not only has it been a great partner behind the scenes but has also been at the fore in many of our initiatives, as well as promoting those of its own.
York Tyre Sales has become the first independent tyre retailer to join the ranks of TyreSafe as an associate member, and the safety organisation hopes the recently-opened business will be just the first of many to come on board and participate in the wide range of campaigns TyreSafe operates.
TyreSafe has pledged its support for the UN’s “decade of Action for Road Safety” initiative, designed to combat the 1.3 million deaths occurring on roads around the world each year. The global campaign is calling upon governments and other organisations to take action and TyreSafe says it will support the campaign by educating UK road users about the importance of correct and regular tyre maintenance.
With rain showers forecast across much of the UK this coming Spring Bank Holiday weekend, tyre safety organisation TyreSafe is encouraging drivers to check the condition of their tyres before setting off. Drivers should ensure that their tyres have adequate tread depth to grip potentially slippery road surfaces and are properly inflated to carry any additional loads such as luggage or extra passengers.
North East-based tyre wholesaler and retailer Tyrespot recently screened what the company is describing as “a highly successful TV advertising campaign in the North East of England.” The campaign, featuring two characters, promoted the company’s free tyre safety checks that are available throughout its network of retail stores. The advert was filmed at the beginning of the year and aired during April.
In recent times TyreSafe has focused on rising levels of unsafe and incorrectly inflated van tyres on UK roads, and the safety organisation reports it has been able to significantly increase in van and truck expertise by signing up Mercedes-Benz Vans as its latest vehicle manufacturer member. Commenting on Mercedes-Benz Vans’ ambition of building the world’s safest vans, TyreSafe states their partnership is “ideally placed” to educate and remind van users about the importance of correct tyre care and maintenance.
To underline the company’s emphasis on road safety and the environment, Apollo Vredestein has unveiled a state-of-the-art laser tread depth measuring station at its Enschede site in the Netherlands. The addition of this new unit, says the tyre maker, will make visitors more aware of the importance of having the correct tread depth in terms of both their safety and the environment. The station was built in accordance with Apollo Vredestein’s ISO 14001 environmental certification, as was the tyre pressure station installed by the company in 2008.
Bath and North East Somerset Council is the latest to sign up to a Michelin and ATS Euromaster tyre contract, designed to reduce the monthly cost of tyre maintenance and replacement on its 200-strong mixed fleet. The Council used a public sector tyre sourcing initiative via the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) to hook up with the French manufacturer and retailer, fitting Michelin products to its 50 cars, 100 vans, 30 buses (ranging from minibuses to 24 seaters) and 25 trucks – including 8X4 hookloaders and the council’s refuse collection and recycling vehicles. All tyre servicing and supply is provided by ATS Euromaster.
James Bailey, who was appointed director, brand PR in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region for Goodyear Dunlop at the beginning of the year, has appeared on BBC Television’s The One Show, explaining to segment presenter Carol Vorderman the importance of correct tyre pressure, tread patterns and tread depth for driving in the wet. Bailey took the opportunity to talk about the tyre label – with a close-up of the label itself – showing it to around 4 million teatime viewers of the magazine show. The 14 April edition of the show can be accessed by UK internet users via the Corporation's iPlayer website for the next week.
Westlake Tyres, which are produced by the Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Company (ZC Rubber) and distributed in Europe by Eskay Tyres Ltd. – part of the Al Dobowi Group, has joined TyreSafe. According to a statement announcing the news, Westlake will use its technical expertise to assist TyreSafe in its campaigns aimed at improving road safety.
The first opportunity for UK-based caravanners to use their mobile homes is upon us, with the Easter period seeing a fair number of the country’s 2 million or so caravan owners on the road. Micheldever Tyre Services retail arm, Protyre suggests in a new statement that many owners will not carry out basic safety checks despite a lengthy idle spell that could have resulted in tyre distortion and cracking. The company is offering a free Easter Tyre Safety Check at any of its 53 UK outlets for this reason, a good strategy for increasing footfall in what is always a busy time for Britain’s roads.
UK tyre safety campaign group TyreSafe is currently running its motorcycle-specific tyre safety month to coincide with the commencement of the riding season – welcomed in by the excellent weather in the UK this weekend. The organisation is highlighting the 82 motorcycle accidents in 2009 where illegal, defective or underinflated tyres were a contributory factor (Department for Transport figures). Although this number represents a slight decrease on 2008, each one is an avoidable accident, says Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe.
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