Chinese Tyre Exports Near 4-Year Low

Chinese tyres value is at a 4 year low after they fell 37.5% in October to $130m as a result of swinging 35% import tariffs imposed by the US government in September 2009.

Apparently the countries general admin of cutoms, china exported 240m new tyres in the 10 months of 2009, which was 9.6% less than the same time in 2008. the value of the export oftyres fell 10.5% year on year hitting $6.2b and the average price for a tyre was $25.40.

Beginning in November 2008 China’s tyre export value declined for 12 consecutive months. The export value for October 2009 was $630 million, down 3.1 per cent year-on-year, or 17.1 per cent month-on-month.

Tyre companies expect rapid growth, plan bigger investments.

In line with the pickup in trade growth, tyre companies are possible to make major increases in their capex plans in 2010-11, to enlarge capacity and meet product order.

A strong pickup in demand from the auto sector in the face of a visible financial recovery is likely to help the country’s tyre industry to clock a 7% to 8% growth in FY11, reports PTI.

Also, in line with the surprise in business growth, tyre companies are likely to make important increases in their capital spending (capex) plans in 2010-11, to increase capacity and meet product demand, top players said on Tuesday.

“The Indian tyre industry may grow at around 7%-8% at Rs27,000 crore in the next financial year from Rs25,000 crore presently, on the back of high demand from the automobile sector,” AS Mehta, director (marketing), JK Tyre & Industries, told PTI.

“Year 2010 is going to be a happening year for us. We plan to invest Rs1,200 crore over the next two years to increase car and truck radial production in India,” Mr Mehta said.

Echoing a similar view, another leading tyre manufacturer Ceat Ltd said that it has targeted a revenue of Rs3,500 core in the next financial year.

“The industry is likely to grow over 7% and we are expecting over Rs3,500 crore revenues next year from both the domestic and global markets,” said Ceat’s executive director for marketing, Anarb Banarjee.

Ceat plans to set up a new plant by spending over Rs650 crore in the next financial year, besides expanding its existing plant in Nashik, he said.

“We will invest over Rs650 crore in 2010 to set up a new plant and will expand our existing plant in Nashik. The new plant is likely to start operations by September 2010,” Mr Banarjee said.

The company expects the demand in the domestic market to pick up in the New Year and was hopeful of achieving a rapid growth in its business.

£1000 reward after tyres slashed again

A victim of crime will reward £1000, after vandals slashed all 4 tyres of his work van over Christmas.

Andy Gardiner, 40, from Babbacombe, woke finding to his horror what these vandals had done, on Christmas eve.

In his area, him and his neighbours have been targeted before, during this year and he is now had enough and is willing to give out a reward for information which could have these vandals arrested for this crime.

Mr Gardiner has forked out nearly £200 to replace the tyres which were slashed on the truck he has from the company he works for. Not only was this done to him, but a fellow neighbour was also hit for the 6^th time this year while her car was parked nearby the night before Mr Gardiner’s.

“They know what they are doing because they spike the top of the tyre.

“My neighbour is devastated. It is almost always done on the same spot in the same road. So someone has got some issues.

“I am just worried what might happen. All sorts of people have been done and next time it might be a mother with children in the car who drives away and doesn’t realise. There could be an accident or even a death.

“It needs to be addressed.”

The neighbour, who did not want to be named because of fear, said: “I am absolutely in bits. I just had all four tyres repaired when this happened a month ago, and to wake up and find it has happened on Christmas Eve is really upsetting. I can’t sleep and I feel sick with worry that it is going to happen again.

“I have to visit my nan every morning to make sure she is OK as she had a stroke last year. This is affecting that and everything about me.

“I moved my car and I felt like I was being watched and I thought ‘don’t be silly it’s Christmas Eve’ but I just knew.

“The police don’t want to know. They are not interested.”

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year!

FROM EVERYONE AT JET TYRES

WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

WE HOPE TO SEE AND HEAR FROM YOU IN THE NEW YEAR TOO

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Tyre Tips & Advice

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Whether you know nothing about tyres or a just little bit; our tyre tips pages can provide relevant information on tyre pressures, weight restrictions, tyre markings and more.

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Greener Race Tyres

Pirelli Competizioni and Dunlop Motorsports both will be presenting “greener” race tyres this approaching season, having transformed their respective race tyre manufacture to more environmentally friendly processes.

Both race tyre suppliers only just disclosed their 2010 requirement products are being made with HAOF (highly aromatic oil-free) processing oils in line with European Union regulations prohibiting the use of aromatic oils, which are alleged carcinogens.

Pirelli’s 2010-spec P Zero Racing Slick for the Grand-Am Rolex Series got its first big test this past week at a two-day Grand-Am test meeting at Daytona International Speedway’s 3.56-mile road course held to help teams organize for the 24-hour endurance event at the same track Jan. 30-31.

Pirelli is the limited supplier of race tyres for the Grand-Am Rolex series, although Pirelli just stated 2010 will be its last time in this role. Pirelli’s race tyres are made at the firm’s tire plant in Izmit, Turkey.

Grand-Am Rolex Series

Pirelli has introduced its 2010 design P Zero Racing Slick at Daytona International Speedway this week during December tyre tests in training for January’s Rolex 24 – one of auto racing’s most well known and famous events. The two-day test, run December 8-9, gave teams and drivers the chance to check the new HAOF (highly aromatic oil-free) racing slicks – Grand-Am’s first venture into Green Performance, and the outcome was inspiring.

Twenty-four cars experienced the new tyres on the storied 3.56-mile Daytona road circuit, and response to the new tyres was hopeful. Although official lap times were not confirmed by Grand-Am, unofficially, Max Angelelli was the fastest driver in the Daytona Prototype category in the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Ford Dallara – nearly beating the track record.

“I’m very happy,” said Angelelli. “The new tyres for 2010 seem to work really well. They can take so many laps that it’s almost unbelievable.”

Police officers steal tyres?!

Three police officers in Botswana Police’s Transport and Telecommunications division in Gaborone were supposedly arrested after allegations came about that they had stolen 31 tyres, but only 4 have been found.

The 3 men were apparently found in ownership of the tyres while some of them were also found by someone who is said to be an ex mechanic with the police transport division.

It is also suspected that this ex mechanic has been under suspicion by the police that he is involved in underhand dealings with police officers.

Investigations have also supposedly exposed information to the result that the situation is deep, and that a lot more police officers are caught up in the scam, stealing not only tyres but also car parts at the police’s transport division.

Tyre Road Safety in winter

According to figures from the RAC over 40 people die every year on UK roads because of imperfect inflated tyres, as well as many others injured.

It is very important for motorists to ensure their tyres are road safe, as tyres are the only contact a car has with the road. Making sure there is correct tyre pressure is good road safety.

Accurate tyre pressure has been confirmed to benefit the environment by maintaining optimum fuel efficiency, consequently reducing CO2 emissions. This is because under inflated tyresboost the rolling resistance so that it needs more fuel to continue the same speed.

Additionally suitably inflated tyres extend the life of the tyre meaning they require to be replaced less often. Under or over inflated tyres endure more damage and wear down than those with the correct pressure and need to be replaced more frequently.

Ring Automotive has now released their new range of tyre inflators, which include their award winning compressor technology, to help motorists maintain optimum tyre pressure. .

The range hold the following compressors:
The RAC610 is a compact simple to use analogue compressor.

The RAC620 is a compact analogue compressor with a white LED light for
direction and a red light for alerting attention with an SOS emergency function.

The RAC630 is an automatic digital compressor with a white LED light for direction and a red light for alerting attention with an SOS emergency function.

The RAC640 is an automatic digital tyre inflator with a white LED light for direction and an inflator and deflator.

The RAC650 is a cordless rechargeable automatic digital air compressor with a removable gauge with a white LED light and inflator deflator.

To recieve the greatest performance and existence from car tyres, motorists should check their tyre pressure on a regular basis.

Where’s your Tyre Inflator?

Continental predicts tyre price rise

Continental claim truck tyre prices will increase by 3% and 5% by the middle of 2010 as the market continues to struggle with less demand and a poor pound.

Arthur Gregg, sales and marketing director for Continental commercial tyres, has said: “At the start of 2009 we saw the cost of raw materials and oil rise, which forced us to increase prices by 3% and then a further 6% in March to compensate. We’ve forecast that the pound will decline further against the euro and the cost of raw materials will invariably go up, so for that we’ve forecast a price increase of between 3% and 5% in the second quarter of 2010.”

He also added: “Next year’s market will continue in a similar vein as it has done over the past six months and will start to grow very steadily from the middle of next year onwards, however, the impressive sales we saw in 2007 won’t be back until 2013 or 2014 at the earliest.”

Forecasts and expenses aside, Continental has said that it is seeing a increasing order for tyres with advanced load capacities as well as minor 17.5-inch and 19.5-inch tyres for double-deck trailers.

Free Continental Winter Tyre Legislation Guide

Continental Tyres has once again produced a comprehensive guide highlighting the different tyre requirements UK and Irish truck operators can expect to encounter when they run their vehicles in Europe this winter.

The guide has been updated for the 2009/2010 winter season and is available free to all as a download from the Continental website.

Countries such as Austria, Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland have strict legislation which determines when special winter tyres are required and when snow chains have to be fitted. The Continental guide covers the legal requirements as well as the safety benefits of specifying the correct tyres for the correct applications.

While each country has different requirements, the Continental guide proposes a number of actions to make sure vehicles are safe on the roads when dealing with wintry conditions.

Firstly Continental recommends that all truck tyres should have a minimum remaining tread depth of at least 4mm across all axle positions on a tractor unit.

Secondly that trucks should be fitted with specially developed winter tyres when travelling through hilly regions of middle Europe that are snow covered and have uncleared roads, on roads covered with significant amounts of ice or snow or on winding and sloping roads that are cold and wet.

And finally to ensure maximum safety and vehicle performance winter tyres should be fitted in order of priority on trucks as follows, to the drive axle, to the steer axle and then to the remaining axles such as lift or trailer axles.

“Much obviously depends upon local weather conditions” said Jill Rodgers, Marketing Manager – Commercial Products. “While most situations can be covered by our comprehensive range of winter tyres, it’s become increasingly important in recent years for operators to understand that regulations vary considerably between countries and that penalties for non-compliance can be severe”.

Ms Rodgers continued; “To avoid confusions we clearly define our winter tyres by marking the sidewalls with a snowflake symbol and the word Winter”.

Continental offer HSW (Heavy Steer Winter) and HDW (Heavy Drive Winter) tyres in a range of sizes. HSW and HDW tyres also carry the historic label Scandinavia, indicating that they are suitable for tough winter applications. The angled tread lugs on both tyres are smaller, while the optimised groove geometry and closed shoulders on the HSW ensure a precise steering response, good aquaplaning prevention and straight-line stability.

Source: TNN.co.uk

Continental take winter tyre safety to the public

In an effort to educate drivers of all vehicles on the necessity to understand the importance tyre safety, Continental Tyres has recruited the services of British Touring Car Championship racer, Fiona Leggate.

In a new promotional video, Continental and Fiona highlight simple and straightforward advice. The video concentrates on four important topics relating to winter driving and tyre safety, tread depth, tyre pressure, tyre damage, and tyre sealant kits.

The video which demonstrating the dangers of the four topics also provide simple solutions as to how determine tread depth, looks at the importance of tyre pressure, the dangers of tyre damage and the usefulness of tyre sealant kits.

Source: Irish Trucker News

Turkish tyre contract for Goodyear

Tyre maker Goodyear Lastikleri has chosen Ceva Logistics to be its logistics provider in Turkey.

Ceva will provide full truck load and LTL distribution services from Goodyear’s Adapazari and Izmit plants to dealers and automotive manufacturers throughout Turkey.

Aslan Uzun, Ceva’s general manager for Turkey and the Balkans, said: “We believe that our unique one-way distribution network was one of the key elements that motivated Goodyear’s choice to choose Ceva as a logistics partner.”

Source: supplychainstandard.com

Goodyear Fuel Max a Popular Science Innovator

US based science and technology magazine Popular Science has included Goodyear’s Assurance Fuel Max in its 2009 “100 Most Innovative Products of the Year” list.

“We are pleased to be honoured by the editors of Popular Science for the innovation represented in the Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tyre,” said Steve McClellan, Goodyear’s North American president, consumer tyres. “Our product development process follows a market-back path – learning what consumers want and then building tyres that deliver innovative benefits.

“Goodyear works hard to make sure the technology is relevant to the consumer’s wants. Honours such as this, and the complementing strong consumer demand for our tyres, confirm that direction.”
“The Best of What’s New Award is the magazine’s top honour, and the 100 winners – chosen from among thousands of entrants – represent the highest level of achievement in their fields,” said Mark Jannot, editor-in-chief of Popular Science. “For 22 years, Popular Science has honoured the innovations that surprise and amaze us – those that make a positive impact on our world today and challenge our views of what’s possible in the future.”

The Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tyre features a proprietary fuel-saving tread compound formulated to reduce energy loss as the tyre rolls. The four per cent improvement in highway fuel economy (compared to the standard Goodyear Assurance) delivered by the Fuel Max during testing means, in essence, drivers can save 2,600 miles worth of fuel over the life of a set of four tyres.

The Assurance Fuel Max has been selected as original equipment fitments for the darlings of the fuel efficiency world, including the 2010 Toyota Prius, 2011 Chevrolet Volt, and 2010 Ford Fusion S. It is also available as a replacement tyre in 32 sizes, fitting more than 80 per cent of the US passenger car tyre segment.

Source: http://www.tyrepress.com/News/business_area/Awards/18161.html

Pirelli Plans to Buy as Well as Build in Russia

During Pirelli’s third quarter conference call on November 5, company chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera confirmed plans to establish two factories in Russia. The first of these is to be acquired, the second a previously announced joint venture greenfield facility.

“We are in touch to buy an existing plant that is quite new,” the chairman stated. “We don’t know the timing, it’s quite a complex transaction. But we believe that within the first six months of next year we should be able to finalise the deal.” Speculation exists that the plant to be purchased by Pirelli may be one of the two mothballed factories belonging to the insolvent Amtel-Group, formerly known as Amtel-Vredestein. Russian media has already printed news of the Italian company’s interest in acquiring either the Kirov or the Voronezh sites.

The second investment Pirelli will make in Russia is in a greenfield plant for truck tyres, Tronchetti Provera continued. “We are finalising all the bureaucratic assessments, and we believe we will not start building the plant before second half of next year. So that’s the planning in Russia. And we expect the market in Russia recovering end of 2010, beginning of 2011. And so we’re trying to be ready to produce in Russia by the end of 2010 and first half 2011.”

In August, Pirelli signed an agreement with Russian Technologies State Corporation to establish a joint venture facility with an initial annual capacity of 4.2 million tyres. The announced investment in this Samara region based plant is 250 million euros. During the conference call, the chairman stated Pirelli believes its investment in 2010 “will not exceed fifty million.”

Source: http://www.tyrepress.com/News/business_area/25/18126.html

India’s first tyre factory restarts production in Bengal

After a closure of one year, Dunlop tyre factory (India’s first tyre manufacturer factory), started production on Wednesday.

The 73-year old factory at Sahaganj, about 50 km to the north of Kolkata, started production at 8:30 in the morning with the aim of converting 40 tonnes of rubber a day.
The product mix includes car, bus and off-the-road tyres (tyres for dumpers, pay loaders, earthmoving equipment vehicles etc).

Dunlop is the last global brand that is manufactured in Bengal.
“The entire workforce of more than 1,000 will be absorbed,” said the spokesperson.
There was a last minute glitch centering absorbing 25 workers who had been suspended by the management on alleged charges of indiscipline.

But a last minute assurance by Dunlop India chairman Pawan Kumar Ruia to Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee ensured the inclusion of the leaders in the payroll.
“The workers will be absorbed in work outside the factory,” remarked a Dunlop spokesperson.
Dunlop enjoyed a near monopoly status in Indian tyre industry till the eighties.
In the late nineties the company was shut down by a shortage of working capital. It reopened in early 2006 when Kolkata-based investor Pawan Kumar Ruia bought it out from Dubai-based Jumbo Group.

But fund crunch forced another closure last year.
“However, workers are yet to get their dues as calculated in the tripartite agreement the management signed in April 2006,” said workers at the plant.

Source: TOPNEWS.IN

Goodyear Researcher Receives DuPont Award

AKRON, Ohio, DuPont has announced that Kevin Westgate of The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio, is a recipient of a DuPont award that recognizes the commercialization of an impactful new technology.

Westgate, lead engineer in the Global Material Science Group, along with three DuPont colleagues, is being recognized with DuPont’s 2009 Bolton/Carothers Innovative Science Award for advancing hybrid cord technology, featuring DuPont Kevlar® followed by successful commercialization in multiple tire designs. Other recipients of this prestigious DuPont award are Florencio Gopez of DuPont Protection Technologies R&D, and Mark Lamontia and Ted Diehl of DuPont Engineering Technologies. This highly effective team worked collaboratively over a period of five years to develop and bring to market a new technology creating substantial commercial success for both Goodyear and DuPont.

The Bolton/Carothers Innovative Science Award recognizes creative scientific invention or discovery that results in the creation of recently commercialized new products, technology, or business that is generating significant revenue with the potential for continued earnings. The award takes its title from DuPont’s remarkable discovery of nylon in the 1930’s, led by Wallace Carothers, as well as its commercialization which was led by Elmer Bolton. In bestowing this award 17 times in the past, this 2009 recognition marks the first time anyone outside of DuPont has received it.

The award presentations will take place on January 19, 2010, at The DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware.

Source: PR.AU

Goodyear Tire & Rubber shares rise after upgrade

Shares of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. rose Friday after an analyst upgraded the stock based on a sharp decline in the stock's value.

Goldman Sachs analyst Patrick Archambault upgraded the stock to "Buy" from "Neutral," noting shares have declined 20 percent since Oct. 28 when Goodyear issued weak guidance for the rest of the year.

"We see the sell-off, which put shares back to their July 21st levels, as an opportunity to build positions in the shares," said Archambault.

He pointed to the Akron, Ohio, company's recent U.S. price hike of as much as 6 percent in boosting his earnings estimates for next year to $1.05 per share from 95 cents per share.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect, on average, 78 cents per share.
Archambault also raised his price target to $19 from $17 on increased consumer tire demand, benefits from improved fixed cost absorption and continued cost reduction from better manufacturing flexibility afforded by the new United Steel Workers contract.
In afternoon trading, shares rose 57 cents, or 4.2 percent, to $14.31.

Shares of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. rose Friday after an analyst upgraded the stock based on a sharp decline in the stock's value.

Goldman Sachs analyst Patrick Archambault upgraded the stock to "Buy" from "Neutral," noting shares have declined 20 percent since Oct. 28 when Goodyear issued weak guidance for the rest of the year.

"We see the sell-off, which put shares back to their July 21st levels, as an opportunity to build positions in the shares," said Archambault.
He pointed to the Akron, Ohio, company's recent U.S. price hike of as much as 6 percent in boosting his earnings estimates for next year to $1.05 per share from 95 cents per share.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect, on average, 78 cents per share.

Archambault also raised his price target to $19 from $17 on increased consumer tire demand, benefits from improved fixed cost absorption and continued cost reduction from better manufacturing flexibility afforded by the new United Steel Workers contract.
In afternoon trading, shares rose 57 cents, or 4.2 percent, to $14.31.

Source: The Associated Press

Deadline for 2010 Pirelli Sponsorship Resumes

While the weeks are winding down, there is still time for riders looking for 2010 sponsorship and support to send in their resumes to Pirelli Tyre. December 1, 2009 will serve as the cut-off date for all accepted applications.

With a tread for every encounter, from sand to hard-pack, Pirelli’s premier Scorpion MX family of tires offers the most in performance and durability for all motocross needs. With Soft, MidSoft, MidHard and Hard compounds in the Scorpion MX lineup, Pirelli is a winner with its race-proven products as showcased by its 52 MX1 Championships.

Additionally, Pirelli offers a formidable lineup of off-road tires. The very same rubber used by Paul Whibley to win the 2009 GNCC XC1 Championship is available to all riders, staying true to the motto that Pirelli races what it sells.

Source: MotorcycleUSA.com

Pirelli, six years in WSB. Going ever faster

Amazingly, it's been six years since Pirelli took on the tyre supply at WSBK. It was a shock at the time, but its been copied, hasn't it?

Pirelli has been the sole tyre supplier to WSB for six years already and, after initial apprehension, most riders in the paddock now see it as a good thing. The suspicions that some riders would still be favoured or that all tyre development would stop dead appear to have been unfounded.

Pirelli sent out us this info which we thought was worth posting up here, since it points out a few things that, frankly, we hadn't considered and didn't know. So here goes for some Pirelli propaganda...

"The first two year period of Pirelli's relationship in WSB was dedicated to refining the service element to guarantee adequate support for all riders in the Superbike paddock. The next step then began a true search for performance, improving lap times and cornerspeed and reducing circuit records. During the last two years, Pirelli has continued to deliver a higher level of performance, but more noteworthy is the stabilization of performance, meaning reduced lap times all the way to the flag.

Relative to this stabilized performance, the measured race time for 2009 decreased an average of 20 seconds over last year, signifying truly faster racing and a consistent competition level. From the 48 dry solutions available to riders this season between the World Superbike and Supersport grids, one front and three rear tyres will enter the 2010 Pirelli Racing product range and be available to all authorized customers on the market.

With as many as 6,000 tyres delivered each weekend on the WSBK calendar, the cutting-edge technologies bred within this environment can be quickly transferred into street product through Pirelli's application of perfected carcass constructions concepts. For example, the new Diablo Rosso Corsa adopts a carcass from the Superbike class and shoulders of its three zones compound rear tyre being an offspring to those used in the Superstock class."

Source: Superbike.co.uk

Driving for work - Tips for a safer winter behind the wheel

Bad weather and shorter, darker days in winter pose a danger, with the period between 3pm and 6pm being particularly hazardous, as more people are travelling on the roads, on the way home from work, or school.

To make sure you stay safe on the roads this winter, fleet risk-management solutions provider, Interactive Driving Systems, offers the following advice:

Before you drive – keep yourself and your vehicle in good technical repair to reduce your overall chances of any mishap or disaster while driving in winter weather; prepare your vehicle for winter driving by giving it a complete check-up, and keep your fuel tank near to full to ensure that you do not run out; make sure your tyres are in good order by checking them weekly, or when refuelling; carry an emergency kit for your car in case you get stranded in adverse weather; listen to weather forecasts and, if the weather and visibility are hazardous, ask yourself ‘is this trip really necessary?’

On the road – drive according to current road and weather conditions, making sure that all windows and mirrors are clear and that wipers and defrosters are in good working condition; and drive slowly with low-beam headlights on if visibility is poor, test your brakes frequently, leave a bigger gap and never tailgate.

If the worst happens – if you get stranded, don’t panic. Keep yourself safe, and follow the detailed procedures in your driver’s handbook if you are in a work vehicle; in your own vehicle you should contact the appropriate support organisation and follow their guidance.

For more detailed winter driving advice, visit http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/ and http://www.brake.org.uk/

Source:SHPONLINE

New Michelin plant rolls into Chennai

Global tyre major Michelin Group will set up its maiden tyre manufacturing plant in India at Thervoy Kandigai, 50 km north of Chennai in Thiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu. The tyre major has committed to invest Rs 4,000 crore in the plant that will be spread over an area of 290 acres and will absorb 1,500 workers locally.

The manufacturing facility will focus on a range of radial truck/bus tyres. The plant will start operations in 2012 and will focus on the growing Indian market.

Source: BSMotoring

36% of motorists in the UK drive with dangerous tyres

Michelin’s 2009 Fill Up With Air campaign results have shown that an alarming 36 per cent of drivers in the UK are driving with dangerous or very dangerously under-inflated tyres*.
The Fill Up With Air tyre safety roadshow, now in its sixth year, took to the roads this summer, visiting 24 cities including Dundee, Manchester and Birmingham to offer drivers a free tyre pressure check and a free fill-up for those with under-inflated tyres.

More than 4,500 cars were checked during the three-month campaign, more than ever before, and only 34 per cent were found to be driving with correctly inflated tyres, while a shocking 6 per cent were driving with punctures.

Michelin’s head of communications, Peter Snelling, said: “Tyres are the only thing keeping a car on the road and it’s all too easy for drivers to take them for granted and not treat them with the utmost care and attention that they deserve.

“This year’s Fill Up With Air campaign figures have, as we predicted, shown a slight deterioration from 2008 which even then positioned us as one of the worse offenders for tyre safety in Europe. We believe this downward trend could be partly due to the economic climate as drivers try to save money wherever they can.

“However, this is a false economy in terms of safety and fuel costs. Incorrectly inflated tyres, bald tyres and damaged tyres are dangerous and can lead to fatal crashes and lives must not be sacrificed for the sake of saving a few pounds. Also, under-inflated tyres have a serious impact on the environment as cars consume more fuel to overcome the increased rolling resistance.”
The results were revealed at the Road Safety Expo 09, the premier road safety conference in the UK, attended by the Road Minister Paul Clark MP and the Chairman of the Global Road Safety Partnership, Patrick Lepercq.

Mr Snelling added: “The Michelin message to Fill Up With Air needs to get through. With petrol prices hurting everyone and the overall cost of motoring rising, it makes so much sense to regularly attend to this simple task. Checking and correcting tyre pressures once a month and before long journeys can save lives as well as money.”

Source: Fleet Directory