Watch out for tyre safety

Did we ever stop to think that your vehicle's tyres may have been a major cause of accidents?

 Most Malaysian motorists do not seem to be aware about the dangers of driving with faulty tyres or tyres that are not properly maintained. One of the important factors of tyre maintenance is proper inflation.

 

In this regard, air kiosks at petrol stations are not calibrated, which means that pumping up at an improperly functioning or maintained air pump can mean poor inflation, whether under-inflation or over-inflation.

In response to Customer Association (CA) queries related to tyre pressure, the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism said air kiosks at petrol stations are not calibrated because the air is provided free and calibration is “mandatory only for equipment used in trade”.

Since we have a very high rate of traffic accidents, It is believes that a high percentage of the accidents may have been caused by wrong inflation pressure.

According to figures from the Road Safety Department Malaysia (RSD), there were 6,700 deaths from road fatalities in 2009 – which is no mean figure, even if the RSD prefers to emphasise that the number of people sustaining injuries in road accidents has reduced by 42% from 54,000 persons in 2004 to 31,000 in 2009.

It must also be noted that only last year, RSD director-general Datuk Suret Singh announced that faulty tyres “are like time bombs waiting for accidents to occur”.

According to him, faulty vehicle tires have a 15% chance of causing accidents and in view of this, the department would work with the industry to ensure all tyres meet safety standards by June 1, 2010.

In the case of retread tyres, the current applicable standard for retreads is MS224: 2005. It is therefore vital that stringent quality control is observed, to ensure retread tyres rolling out of the factory are of the highest safety and quality standards.

While the government and the relevant authorities take their time to act, all consumers, especially those owning vehicles, to observe these measures:

1. Tyre groove depth: Whether you are using an original or retread tyre, make sure the tyre groove depth is at a safe level. Worn out tyres are a definite no!  Leading European car manufacturers insist that tyres must be replaced when the tread surface reaches the same level of the tread wear indicator.

2. Tyre Pressure: The recommended tyre pressure for your vehicle will be found in the vehicle handbook. Or, check with a reliable service centre or a good tyre outlet. Check tyre pressures every week and adjust when necessary, for low tyre pressures reduce tyre performance and increase fuel consumption.  Under inflation is the leading cause of tire failure. A tire can be as much as 50% under inflated before it is visibly noticeable. Not only are under inflated tyres more prone to damage and failure, but they can lead to higher fuel costs by as much as 8 cents per litre or RM1/100km (RM240/yr *If an average user travels 24,000/year)

3. Visual Inspection: It is important to visually check the condition of tyres on a regular basis. Lumps and bulges may indicate the tyre has been damaged internally. If there is any doubt as to the condition of a tyre, it should be removed immediately until it has been properly checked.

4. Balancing, rotation and alignment: Having your tyres balanced, rotated and properly aligned periodically is important not only to the longevity of the tyre but also to the safety of the driver and the performance of the car.

We in Malaysia do not have specific laws on tyre care. Perhaps it is time to look into this area. British law states that the tyre tread depth must be a minimum of 1.6mm measured in a band comprising the central 75% of the tread width and continuous around the tyre circumference.

The tyre must also be maintained in a condition so that it is fit for the purpose the vehicle is being used and must not have any defect that may cause danger to the road surface or damage to persons in the vehicle or to other road users.

In Britain, a vehicle owners stand to be fined a maximum of £2,500 for each and every tyre offence, plus three penalty points for the driver as well.