Tyre Pressure News and Information: Safety
Caravan blow-out
At the recent caravan and motorhome show we were surprised and shocked by the number of people who told us they had personally experienced trailer tyre blowouts. Lucky escape One of our visitors kindly sent us this photograph of his blown out tyre. Towing a single-axle caravan, he was completely unaware of a problem until [...]
Driving on wet roads
Skidding on wet roads is the biggest fear for thousands of motorists according to a recent survey. The risk of skidding is dramatically increased if tyres are worn or not correctly inflated, so here are top three tips for reducing the risk of aquaplaning in the wet: Slow down and keep your distance. Make sure [...]
TyrePal for boat trailers
If you are towing a boat, increased fuel consumption, trailer instability and risk of a burst tyre are much greater when tyres are not properly maintained. Here’s something to avoid! We can supply systems for all kinds of trailers, including boat trailers, horse trailers, caravans etc. Systems can be set up to monitor both the [...]
Proper tyre inflation increases dramatically: Survey
A Canadian Survey has shown that proper tyre inflation has increased dramatically since 2003, with the improvement partly ascribed to the use of Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems. The results of thesurvey, released this week, show the proportion of vehicles with at least one tyre more than 10% above or below the OEM recommendation fell from [...]
Managing tyre pressures
Effects of incorrect pressure Incorrectly inflated tyres reduce the contact area with the road, leading to: less grip increased braking distances poor cornering uneven tyre wear If tyres are under-inflated, they have greater rolling resistance, so they waste fuel and wear faster. Driving on soft tyres puts tremendous forces on the sidewall, both in supporting [...]
Tyre pressure and road contact
Correct tyre pressure gives best grip and shortest braking distance. Over-inflation reduces contact and leads to uneven tyre wear. Under-inflation reduces grip and increases braking distance. Cornering is impaired as the tyre tends to roll under the wheel rim. Excess flexing of the sidewall can cause delamination and overheating, leading to a blowout. Under-inflated tyres [...]
UK Legal requirements on tyre pressure
It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that tyres are in proper condition and penalties for offences are very severe. The penalties for having illegal tyres are currently up to a £2500 fine and 3 penalty points PER TYRE. Two faulty tyres could cost six penalty points, loss of license and a £5000 fine! Apart [...]
Tyre causes bus fire
A bus blaze in the Derbyshire Peak District is thought to have been caused by an overheated tyre. The bus, operated by Trent Barton Transpeak caught fire at Ashford on the Water at about 3:50pm on 29 May2009. The driver managed to bring the vehicle to a stop and help the passengers out to safety [...]
Tyre condition survey
The largest ever tyre safety study undertaken in the UK revealed that almost three quarters of all cars on the country’s roads have tyres that are under-inflated. The survey also showed that a quarter of these vehicles have at least one tyre that is either illegal, having a tread depth below 1.6mm, or badly worn. [...]
Accident statistics
The UK Department for Transport statistics show that defective or under inflated tyres are a factor in hundreds of fatal or serious road accidents each year. The latest statistics (Road Casualties Great Britain: 2007 (Annual Report)) records 283 fatal or serious accidents where tyre condition was a factor, making this the most common vehicle defect.