Sharjah Police launch awareness campaign on tyre safety

Sharjah: Sharjah Police have launched a live awareness session on Instagram on the importance of tyre safety during the summer period.

Captain Saud Al Shaiba, Director of Traffic Awareness and Traffic Media Branch and Abdul Rahman Kanoun Al Shamsi, Director of the Accident and Roadside Assistance Unit at Rafid Company, highlighted the importance of tyre safety during the session. The General Command of the Sharjah Police, represented by the Traffic and Patrols Department in cooperation with the Media and Public Relations Department, organised the session.

Captain Al Shaiba discussed several important aspects, including the dangers of tyre blowout caused by high temperature, especially during the summer. He also discussed what the motorists should do to maintain safety of tyres to avoid accidents.

Shelf life

He highlighted the importance of educating the public about the shelf life of tyres — the fact that their maximum age is from two to three years.

Al Shamsi stressed that the role of Rafid during this campaign is to provide a free tyre inspection service for a week, and issue a free repair report. He pointed out that there is a noticeable decrease in incidents of tyre bursting this year compared to last year. As many as 215 such accidents were recorded in 2019 compared to 96 accidents recorded this year until July 28, indicating the importance of calling the toll-free number 80072343 in the event that the vehicle’s tyre is damaged to request assistance, or to request the cranes service, or through the Rafid application, which contains an integrated set of services.

Rafid services

Al Shamsi pointed out that Rafid provides roadside assistance service, such as refuelling, replacing tyres and batteries, transporting breakdowns vehicles to agencies or workshops. It includes an integrated facility for repairing imported and local cars, and the Auto Express mobile service, which consists of a mobile workshop specialising in repair and maintenance, and providing all necessary and urgent basic services, such as replacing tyres, or repairing them in accordance with the highest quality standards and international best practices.

Capt. Al Shaiba stressed the necessity of carrying a periodic check up of the tyres, and the air pressure in them, so they may see the first signs of their damage, which may affect the ability of tyre friction on the road, leading to further damage or even a burst tyre, and the need to become familiar with the culture of tyre validity.

The session witnessed a considerable interaction by social media users. Police officers responded to their inquiries, which were raised regarding the safety and suitability of the tyres.