Stay pumped up to avoid tire failures says UK's Tyresafe

ERJ staff report (BC)

Colchester, UK – The Tyresafe agency is reminding drivers of the need to ensure their tires are properly inflated, to avoid temperature-induced tire failures in the current heatwave.

Tyresafe’s message to motorists is that when tires are under-inflated, excessive heat builds up within them, increasing the risk of rapid deflations. These dramatic events can make the car extremely difficult to control, especially as they occur most frequently after prolonged high-speed running on busy motorways (freeways) or trunk roads.

The agency adduces statistics from the RAC roadside assistance service showing that last year its patrol crews attended more than 50 000 tire-related callouts in July and August alone.

RAC spokesman Simon Williams is quoted as saying: "In 2012 RAC patrols attended 344 000 callouts for tire and wheel jobs, making these our second biggest breakdown category, with 15 percent of 2.3m breakdowns. We urge everyone taking to the roads this summer to make sure their tires are in good condition, otherwise they risk spending unwanted time on the hard shoulder or in a layby instead of at the beach."

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News release from Tyresafe