Just Tyres News

As the peak camping season approaches, TyreSafe - the UK’s leading tyre safety organisation - is running a caravan tyre safety campaign throughout the month of June and Just Tyres are offering Free tyre safety checks to help ensure you arrive safely at your destination.

Over the years, major tyre manufacturers have developed tyres to cope with increasingly heavy caravans and cars, but without regular inspection and maintenance they could fail, potentially with catastrophic consequences.

A recent survey found that 6% of all fatal accidents on motorways were due to under-inflation of tyres. A survey last year showed only 32% of cars checked had the correct tyre pressures, so making sure your tyres are at the correct pressure is one of the most important factors for the safety and stability of your car and caravan.

Follow these tips to help ensure you remain safe on the roads:

Always use a reliable and accurate tyre pressure guage and only measure when your tyres are cold (having driven under 2 miles). The correct pressures for your car can be found in the vehicle’s handbook and usually two sets of pressure are given, one for when the car has up to three people on board and another for when it’s fully laden.

The recommended pressures for caravan and trailer tyres vary according to the tyre size, construction tye and axle load. TyreSafe has produced a set of tables outlining these pressures, which can be found inthe caravan tyre leaflet on its website; www.tyresafe.org

Also be aware of the dangers of an overloaded vehicle and caravan as the tyres may have to operate beyond their capability. The police may take action against you if your caravan is excessively loaded or has a badly distributed load.

Finally after checking tyre pressures on your car and caravan you should fit a valve cap to each tyre to minimise the leakage of air. As air naturally escapes from inside the tyre, you should check your pressures regularly.

For your Free tyre check, call into your local Just Tyres centre today.

The number of tyre related deaths and accidents on the UK’s roads could be set to rise after new research has revealed that more than one in ten drivers is more likely to buy part worn tyres compared with 12 months ago.

The worrying findings have been issued by TyreSafe, the UK’s leading tyre safety group, who has warned that not only could part worn tyres be a false economy, but they could pose a significant safety hazard to drivers and other road users.

In 2008, illegal, under-inflated or defective tyres contributed to the deaths of 34 drivers and the injuries of more than 900 other motorists.

“Tyres play a critical role in vehicle safety and consequently, some very strict requirements exist regarding the sale of part worn tyres,” warns Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe.

“If part worn tyres are bought from an unreliable source or do not meet the required standards, drivers could be placing themselves and other road users in significant danger. We understand the financial pressures being faced by many motorists but the risks associated with fitting part worn tyres are too high and we would always recommend fitting brand new tyres.”

One of TyreSafe’s primary concerns with part worn tyres relates to the internal structure of the tyre. Regulations require that part worns must be free from large cuts, bulges and lumps and must not have any of their plies or cords exposed. However, without a thorough examination of the internal components of the tyre using an x-ray machine, TyreSafe claims it is impossible to tell what unseen damage may have occurred.

“There are many internal components of a tyre which are essential for safe motoring,” explains Jackson. “These can be damaged by a number of things such as punctures, driving over kerbs or pot holes or running at too low pressures. All of these can make the tyre dangerous and unsafe. The visual inspections required to sell part worn tyres may not identify these internal structural problems and consequently divers may be sold a product which is essentially not fit for purpose.”

TyreSafe’s research found that as many as one in six drivers had bought part worn tyres for their car at some point. It also found that younger drivers are much more likely to compromise their safety by buying part worn tyres compared with older drivers. One in five drivers aged between 18-34 said they were more likely to buy part worn tyres compared with 12 months ago, whereas only one in twenty drivers aged over 55 said they were more likely to buy part worns.

Among the many regulations regarding part worn tyres, they must be permanently marked as such. They must also have at least 2mm of tread depth around the whole tyre and the original grooves must be clearly visible in their entirety. Any repairs to the tyre must have been carried out in accordance with British Standards BS AU 159.

Part worn tyres can come from a variety of sources meaning that it is extremely difficult to understand their history. Some are removed from vehicles which have been written off following an accident; others are put back into service having been changed by their original owner; and others arise from situations where drivers switch between a set of summer and winter tyres and choose to refit brand new tyres rather than refitting their old set.

For more information about tyre safety or the dangers of part worn tyres, visit www.tyresafe.org