More than one in eight tyres (12%) from a sample of 500 cars tested in November were found to be significantly under-inflated, as monitored by WheelRight’s mobile automatic tyre pressure system.
Figures taken at the event revealed the true extent of drivers’ neglect of tyre condition – with one in eight of the tyres tested under inflated by more than 20%.
WheelRight’s testing reveals that drivers are incurring needless costs and endangering safety through inadequate tyre inflation. Approximately 10% tyre under-inflation typically costs the average HGV operator £1,000 per vehicle each year in extra fuel usage and tyre wear,
Poorly inflated tyres pose a well-known risk to vehicle safety, leading to incidents such as breakdowns and blowouts. Figures collated by the Highways Agency reveal that from April 2013 to September 2014, 21% of all breakdowns recorded related to tyre issues. Over 61,405 recorded breakdowns concerned a tyre or wheel issue – a significant average of nearly 3,700 incidents a month. The majority of vehicles reporting breakdown tyre incidents were cars (63%), with HGVs and LGVs reporting 21% and 11% respectively.
WheelRight’s new mobile automatic monitoring device took pressure readings of approximately 2,000 tyres as attendees at the Seeing is Believing tested the equipment.
WheelRight chief executive John Catling is recommending that fleet operators move to daily tyre checks from the industry standard of four to six weeks to improve safety and cut costs.
He said: “Fleet managers have only been able to check their tyre pressures every month so far with the technology available to them.
"But now we’re offering the opportunity to embrace the benefits of daily tyre pressure checks. Operators have the chance to seize control of their tyre pressure monitoring in selecting a technology that instantly provides accurate and robust data – essential to running fleets safely and cost effectively.”
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