Michelin Launches Inflation Station Safety Programme in South Carolina
(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin North America (MNA) announced the opening of the first Michelin Tire Inflation Station at the Welcome Center on Interstate 26 in Landrum, S.C.
TYRE SAFETY
(Akron/Tire Review) Michelin North America (MNA) announced the opening of the first Michelin Tire Inflation Station at the Welcome Center on Interstate 26 in Landrum, S.C.
Beru AG has now introduced the 3rd generation of its own TSS Tyre Safety System. Beru engineers have succeeded in further reducing the number of parts for a convenient, functionally safe tyre safety system.
The system that has now been introduced consists of a compact control unit with integrated aerial, plus four electronic wheel-mounted devices; in them, the sensor, transmitter and battery are built into one unit. This development highlights Beru’s on-going attempts to reduce the system price.
“The UK aftermarket industry must play a key role in bringing the findings of new research into tyre performance to motorists’ attention” – this was RoadSafe’s message at its recent ‘safety in the wet demonstration,’ a message it successfully managed to impress on guests.
MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association) and RoadSafe welcomed both journalists and ‘opinion formers,’ including representatives from the AA, police and RoSPA, to the association’s test grounds in Nuneaton last month, to host comparative tyre tread depth tests and to promote the industry’s 3mm tyre replacement cause.
Guests were offered the opportunity to take part in a practical demonstration that aimed to further impact the tyre safety message. Four cars, each with one of the specified tread depths, 8mm, 4mm, 3mm or 1.6mm were available for guests to complete wet braking tests. The results were strikingly clear, the lower the tread depth the longer and further it took to stop the vehicle. A simple exercise, a simple message; yet despite the simplicity a large percentage of motorists drive on illegal levels of tyre tread. What the 3mm working group says is that it’s up to the UK tyre industry to do something about this and promote change.
(Akron/Tire Review) TIA expressed its disappointment that the National Highway traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) turned down the RMA’s petition to establish recommended cold inflation pressure using a tyre pressure reserve.
TIA had supported RMA’s petition, in which the association asked that NHTSA include in its TPMS regulations a stipulation that a reserve tyre pressure sufficient to allow tyres to carry the maximum load of a vehicle be included in the threshold for a TPMS trigger point.
(Akron/Tire Review – Courtesy of Detroit News, By Jeff Plungis)
Ford Motor Co has become the first US vehicle manufacturer to warn customers that they should replace older tyres, even if the tread is not worn out.
Ford officials said the move comes in response to a growing body of research that suggests tyres deteriorate as they age and can experience tread separations and other failures, even if they look robust.
Goodyear has spent in excess of £2 million on launching its new RunOnFlat campaign to the UK media. The manufacturer has also hired a Hollywood director to deliver its first television advertising campaign for ten years.
Motorists will be able to view the new TV commercial from the 1st June. The advert was created by Leagas Delaney, London, and shot in Australia by Alex Proyas, director of last year’s Hollywood blockbuster I Robot. The advert will run in 16 European countries and kicks off an advertising campaign which includes TV and print advertising, public relations, and web and in-store activities in Goodyear’s 500 Hi-Q fitting centres.
The number of worn and defective tyres on Scotland’s roads is still a cause for concern, says the Tyre Industry Council (TIC). Analysis from last year’s tyre checks has indicated that the number of badly worn tyres, having a tread depth at or below 2mm, is 17 per cent.
Roadside tyre checks carried out by Strathclyde Police late last year showed that 9.6 per cent of cars and light vans had one or more tyres below the legal limit.
ATS Euromaster has introduced a new customer reward scheme in a bid to strengthen its support for managers of small to medium size fleets. The ‘In Roads’ scheme, which is being supported by Michelin, is designed to provide an extensive package of business and driver benefits, explains the company.
Dedicated support packages will be offered covering duty of care, specialist technical advice, a business fund redeemable against business products and services and a clear environmental policy. Regular reports and statements will also be provided together with fleet management software.
The TIC has released further results from last year’s roadside tyre checks that highlight an increase in the number of defective tyres on Britain’s roads.
West Midlands Police has revealed a disappointing seven per cent rise to 17 per cent in the number of cars and vans with defective tyres on the county’s roads.
Bridgestone and the FIA have launched a joint global road safety campaign. Designed to help reduce road deaths, the ‘Think Before You Drive’ campaign is due to be launched in May at the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix in Barcelona.
Clemson University will host the 21st annual Tire Industry Conference from 9 to 11 March at the Hilton Head Marriott Beach & Golf Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina, Tire Review has reported. The conference will focus on changing facets of the tyre industry and how tyre and automotive manufacturers and consumers are affected. Twenty presentations will be conducted by representatives from the tyre manufacturing industry, academics and government. The impact of the economy on the tyre industry, vehicle dynamics and how the industry is addressing tyre safety issues are other issues that will be addressed at the conference. In addition, tyre-monitoring technologies, retreading, scrap tyres and the safety of oversized tyres promise to be hot topics, according to the magazine.
Further results from the TIC’s 2004 tyre safety campaign show a four per cent increase, to 17 per cent, in the number of defective tyres in use on the roads of Leicestershire.
In 2003 Leicestershire recorded that 13 per cent of vehicles checked had at least one tyre at or below the 1.6mm legal requirement. The national average is 12 per cent.
Leicestershire Constabulary’s road safety officer, PC John Budulis said: “I am very disappointed that so many people put not only their own lives at risk, but many other people’s by driving about on defective tyres. It only takes a few seconds to check the condition of your tyres, but very few people take the time to do so. Leicestershire Police are committed to making our roads safer and will continue to enforce the tyre legislation.”
Results from the North West England Tyre Safety Campaign held in October 2004 have shown “a substantial reduction in the number of danger tyres on vehicles on the roads,” according to the TIC.
Police checks identified that the number of tyres below the legal minimum tread depth had fallen by just over four per cent compared with the previous year’s campaign.
Goodyear runflats have been selected for fitment on the new Rolls Royce Phantoms. The company claims its runflat technology offers this luxury vehicle “the highest possible tyre safety available on the market.” Goodyear will produce the Eagle NCT 5 EMT for the Rolls-Royce Phantom in its plant in Fulda, Germany available in 255/50 R21 (front) and 285/45 R21 (rear) sizes. At six metres long, weighing almost 2.5 tons and with a 460 PS V12 engine capable of accelerating the car in 5.9 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, the elegant Rolls Royce Phantom is one of the world’s most luxurious cars.
Goodyear also supplies runflats for the Cadillac CTS-V high-performance luxury saloon, and 2005 Corvette.
A record number of radio stations are taking part in this year’s Scottish tyre safety campaign. 18 local and national Scottish radio stations are supporting this year’s tyre safety initiative by echoing the TIC’s tyre safety messages as part of a “down the line” radio promotion.
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