Can There Be A Future Without Road Accidents? Prevent Accidents By Using The Right Tyres

The tyre is the only contact between the vehicle and the road. Every controlling function (steering,braking and accelerating) that is initiated by the driver and active safety systems (anti-lock braking system ABS, electronic stability control ESC, traction control TCS) is transmitted eventually by the tyres.

Therefore the tyre is a key component in vehicle safety. The main factor for safety is ensuring that the tyre grip on the road is sufficient under all relevant operating conditions. Next of being a key safety component, the tyre also plays a significant role in fuel consumption and vehicle emissions due its rolling resistance. Further, tyre-road noise is one of the main sources of traffic noise. Finally, (truck) tyres play a major role in road surface wear.

Irrespective of grip, rolling resistance or noise, the interaction of the tyre with the road surface is of importance. Think of the type of surface (roughness) and the condition of the surface (dry, water layer, icy, snow-covered). Further, the ambient temperature influences the tyre performance. At last, tyre performance also depends on the vehicle type. It is obvious that requirements and consequently tyre types for passenger cars, trucks and motorcycles are different. Designing a tyre that performs well under all operating conditions is a task of making compromises. Basically the tyre designer decides on rubber compounds, tread design (grooves and sipes1) and carcass design (belt and casing plies, bead, etc.).

Unfortunately the performance of a specific tyre cannot be assessed by just ‘looking’ at the product. However, based on knowledge of the physical mechanisms involved and tyre performance test results, it is possible to characterize how the performance of the tyre is influenced by the use conditions and to quantify the characteristics and performance of ‘winter tyres’ and other tyres in relation to the weatherconditions.

Modern cars are fitted with increasingly sophisticated driver assistance systems which help drivers in critical situations but do they also take control away from drivers? James Remfrey, Manager of Technology, Placement and Benchmarking in the Chassis and Safety Division at Continental talks about the future relationship between vehicle and driver

Driving is a complex scenario whereby various different parameters interlink and the driver is clearly the weakest link. With our technologies, we aim to prevent accidents by using the right tyres and active driving dynamics control systems. If accidents do occur, passive safety systems keep the risk of injury in the vehicle to a minimum. A future completely free of accidents would depend on a variety of different factors.

The law states that:

“Cars and light trailers (including caravans) up to 3500kgs gross vehicle weight and/or eight seated passenger vehicles (including the driver), must have a minimum of 1.6mm of tread depth in a continuous band across the central three quarters of the tread width, throughout the entire circumference of the tyre.”

What the law requires

The principal points of the regulations relating to tyre condition are:

Tyres must be suitable (of the correct type and size) for the use to which the vehicle is being put, and must be inflated to the vehicle or tyre manufacturers’ recommended pressures.

Tyres of different types must not be fitted to opposite wheels of the vehicle (for example, radial-ply tyres must not be fitted to a wheel on the same axle as wheels already fitted with cross-ply tyres and vice versa, and a two-axle vehicle with single rear wheels must not have radial ply tyres on the front axle if cross ply tyres are fitted to the rear axle).

No tyre must have a break in its fabric or a cut deep enough to reach the body cords. No cut must be more than 25mm or 10% of the tyre’s section width in length, whichever is the greater.

There must be no lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial fracture of its structure, neither must any portion of the ply or cord structure be exposed.

Tyres bears 4 digitd mark that states:
Week & Year of manufacture eg. "4002" means Forty- 40 week of the year 2002.
So, if tyres bears 0105 even if never used, its already a bad tyre.
(2) A tyre that states it should be used in snowy /weather environment, must not be used in tropical climate.
(3) PSI indicates maximum number of air pressure to be pumped into tyres (most roadside vulcanizers guage are not accurate).
(4) eg width 205, is the nominal section width of the tyre.
65 aspect ratio, is the height of the tyres sidewall.
R radial construction R16 the diameter of the tyre. Roadside calls it rim size 16.

The information that most people dont undestand yet important is load capacity of tyres.
"Load index" and "Speed rating" tells you the Maximum speed for the tyres at full load.
Shown in alphabetical letter eg:
M means dont exceed 130km/hr on full load.
N 140km/hr,
P 150km/hr,
Q 160km/hr,
R 170km/hr,
S 180km/hr,
T 190km/hr,
U 200km/hr,
H 210km/hr
V 240km/hr
Z 240km/hr
W 270km/hr
Y 300km/hr ...
I hope this helps, so have a lovely day.