When Fast & Furious star Paul Walker died in a car crash last year it sent shockwaves around the world. Car crashes are sadly all too common but, while the stylish high-powered sports car that Walker was travelling in was thought to have been exceeding the speed limit, it also had at least two nine-year-old tyres fitted — something that investigators suggest may have, in fact, contributed to the fatal car accident.
The danger of not maintaining your tyres can never be underestimated and here in the UAE, with scorching summer temperatures, tyres are particularly put through their paces.
“Tyres often have to deal with melting tarmac on top of everything else, especially when temperatures rise during the summer, which greatly impacts driving conditions,” says Vijay Rao, General Manager, Porsche Centre Dubai, Al Nabooda Automobiles.
Indeed tyres play a pivotal role in safe driving as Dr Gijsbert Roos, Technical Director Passenger Car Tyres, Michelin Africa India and Middle East, explains, “Tyres are fundamental for the safe handling of any vehicle as they provide the only contact points of the moving vehicle to the road.”
Keeping our tyres up to date is important, but how often should we change our tyres? “The regulations in the UAE require tyres to be changed five years from the date of manufacture,” says Roos. “Globally, most tyre brands can last much longer. However, it is important for tyres to be changed based on their general condition, state of wear and presence of any damage, regardless of their age.”
To ensure that you stay safe on the frenetic highways of the UAE, Roos offers some advice. “The one key condition for safe tyres is in the hands of the user, and this is to ensure that they are operated at the recommended inflation pressures for the vehicle and application. Additionally, we do not recommend fitting used tyres as there could be dangerous defects or damages.”
Indeed, when fitting tyres, you certainly need to be cautious, as motorist David Martin discovered. “When I required tyres for my car I have to confess that I shopped around for the cheapest tyres,” the avid motorist admits. “However, I was shocked when I later discovered that although they were unused tyres, they were already much older, which meant that I had to change them a little while later to pass my car inspection.”
Industry experts suggest that when choosing tyres the price should not be an influencing factor. Following the manufacturers’ guidelines and using tyres made by a reputed brand are actually much more important factors.
Many of us drive away without paying too much consideration to our tyres. Unless a tyre is flat and stops us from driving all too often our indispensible four wheels are taken for granted.
However, it is time to change, as Michelin’s Roos says, “Drivers must be aware and take responsibility for their own safety by making sure that they fit the right specification of new tyres on their vehicles, operate them at the recommended pressures and have them regularly inspected for any signs of damage.”
