Prioritise tyre inspection before going on holiday

It’s that time of year when holiday planning takes centre stage in many households. Besides charting your route, making sure your vehicle is in optimal condition should be a top priority.

Eugene Herbert, CEO of MasterDrive, underscores the importance of checking your tyres before embarking on your journey. Statistics from the Road Traffic Management Corporation reveal that a staggering 73.3% of crashes are due to vehicle failure resulting from burst tyres.

During a recent Transport Month event, “Corporate Accountability: Driving Safety in Fleets”, experts delved into tyre care, raising concerns about the misinformation circulating on this critical aspect of vehicle maintenance. Herbert highlights that these misconceptions can lead to dangerous decisions by drivers regarding their tyres.

To dispel myths and provide drivers with accurate guidance on tyre care, respected brands such as Bridgestone, Dunlop, Ford, Goodyear, the South African Petroleum Retailers Association and the South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference shared their professional insights, emphasising the following key elements:

• Tyre repair: Avoid using service stations to fix punctures. Proper repair involves not only sealing the hole from the outside but also assessing the tyre’s condition from the inside. The object causing the puncture may have caused more damage than what’s visible externally. Moreover, damage may have occurred from driving with incorrect pressure before repairing the puncture.
• Tyre pressure: Fuel station attendants may not be well-versed in tyre care. Invest in an affordable, high-quality tyre pressure gauge to check the pressures yourself. Overinflated or underinflated tyres can impact fuel consumption and wear. If you’re embarking on a long journey, check the tyre pressure when it’s cooler and avoid checking it midway. The heat generated while driving can make the pressure appear higher than it is. If the tyre is underinflated when you start driving again, it can be dangerous.

• Tyre information: Familiarise yourself with the information displayed on your tyres. This includes details such as size, manufacturing date and the tread wear indicator (TWI). The TWI is especially crucial. Once the tread reaches this indicator, it’s imperative to replace the tyres immediately. The belief that you can continue driving until the tread is 1.6mm below the indicator is a misconception. Also, pay attention to the manufacturing date, as tyres older than five years from this date should be replaced, even if they appear to be in good condition. Neglecting this could affect your insurance coverage in case of an accident.
• Cheap tyres: Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as cheap tyres. Second-hand or re-grooved tyres pose a significant risk to passenger vehicles. Typically, these tyres were removed from vehicles for specific reasons, often originating from rubbish dumps. Yet, astonishingly, it’s estimated that as many as 2.5 million of these tyres are purchased annually. When tyres are re-grooved, the casing is cut into, potentially exposing rayon or steel, making these tyres highly perilous.

“We encourage every driver, whether driving commercial or passenger vehicles, to consider these crucial elements before embarking on any long-distance trip,” Herbert advises.

Source: MotorPress