How Tyres can Save a Life or Risk it
People think that tyres cost too much to invest on and suppose that by getting cheap ones, they save more on car expenses. However, a recent national research proves just how wrong this premise is and explains why these cheap tyres, like unknown Chinese imports, can be disadvantageous and inadvisable.
In a research made by Beaurepaires, tyres of higher quality are found to cut down stopping distances of up to seven meters versus cheaper tyres. Melinda Wood, Beaurepaires marketing manager, says, ‘In an emergency situation, a tyre’s quality—its inflation, depth of tread and quality of its rubber—these can greatly affect the tyre’s ability to put a vehicle to a stop.’
‘In other words, having superior tyres can spell the difference between having a car crash and preventing one,’ Wood states.
In anticipation of the bustling holiday seasons ahead, recognized automobile associations such as the Royal Auto Club of Victoria (RACV) are urging motorists to have their tyres assessed for inflation pressure, defects and roadworthiness. RACV further suggests that drivers have their brakes tested.
In another study, the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) discovered that 25 percent of cars in Victoria fail a five-point safety check on tyres including other safety features like seatbelts, steering, headlights, and brakes.
RACV has also learned that over 20 percent of vehicles that are on Melbourne’s thoroughfares are out with at least one road-unworthy tyre , and at the overall, one out of five vehicles have under-inflated tyres. A road-unworthy tyre is one where its tread depth has been worn out to less than 1.5 mm or one that has been physically damaged.
RACV chief engineer Michael Case states that the current economic decline has driven motorists to cut down expenses on vehicle maintenance and purchase low-cost imported tyres. Case, however, explains that, ‘Cheaper tyres don’t necessarily mean they’re economical because in essence, you just get what you pay for. These tyres easily wear out and motorists find themselves buying tyres again before long. With such, they really aren’t a bargain.’
In RACV’s independent tests, a vehicle moving at 60 km/h on worn out tyres would need an added 3.9m to stop on spot. On the other hand, according to the Beaurepaires survey, only one of 8 drivers understands that it is much safer to drive on premium tyres.
‘The bigger concern comes from how drivers consider the difference of stopping distances between premium and cheaper tyres—33 percent of drivers suppose that stopping advantage is below 6m,’ Woods clarifies. ‘At a closer look, women are more inclined to undermine the advantage of premium tyres’ stopping distance as compared to men,‘ she says. Thirty-eight percent or about two out of 5 women think this is so compared to 28 percent of men or approximately two out of seven.
In a separate study, Beaurepaires tested 16 set of tyres from different leading brands in wet and dry controlled conditions. Among them, Dunlop and Goodyear–which are both distributed by Beaurepaires—were among those which performed well, halting up to 7m shorter than anticipated in a wet condition than most of the tyres in the set. Both tyres also got the best heir results in dry conditions where they almost had a 2m lead difference against their contenders.
Stopping distance can be affected by a number of reasons such as speed and driving conditions, reaction times, as well as tyre and brake conditions. Motorists who are unsure of their vehicles’ tyre conditions should take them to experts for proper inspection.
Here are recommended stopping distances from a driving speed:
40 km/h/37m
60 km/h/55m
80 km/h/82m
100 km/h/116m
Some tyre tips:
1. Regularly check tyre pressures.
2. Replace worn out or physically damaged tyres to reduce safety risks.
3. Make sure tyres are in balance and steering alignment is correct.
4. The spare tyre should be properly inflated and proven road-worthy.
5. Try changing a tyre.
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This article brought to you by Safety Risk in conjunction with Carsguide – Australia’s leading motoring authority. To keep up to date with the latest motoring news, car buyer guides and car reviews online visit Carsguide.com.au.
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