Dubai: Earlier today (Monday, August 14), Dubai Police informed motorists that a vehicle had caught fire on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, under the Expo Bridge.
While informing motorists of this accident, Dubai Police also urged motorists to exercise caution.
During the summer months, police and traffic authorities across the UAE regularly raise awareness about the need to ensure that your car is well-maintained and that your tyres, especially, are in good condition. For example, Dubai Police in the past has issued guidelines on how motorists can avoid car fires by following some basic safety measures, keeping the high summer temperatures in mind.
How to keep your tyres safe during summer
Similarly, Abu Dhabi Police too has in the past reminded motorists that driving with tyres that are not fit to drive can lead to a fine of Dh500, four black points and a week of the vehicle being impounded.
Dh 500
fine, 4 black points, 1 week of vehicle being impoundedwhen you drive a car in Abu Dhabi with tyres that are not fit to drive
Sharjah Police, too, has raised awareness in the past about how high temperatures during summer increase the risk of accidents due to tyre bursts.
According to Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), vehicle tyres are affected by heat during summer and motorists should use a reliable tyre pressure gauge or an authorised monitoring system to inspect tyre pressure, to ensure road safety.
How does the heat affect tyre safety?
According to an awareness blog post by tyre manufacturer Bridgestone Middle East, as a rule of thumb, tyre pressure increases by 0.1 bar, or 1.4 PSI (pound per square inch), for every 10°C change in ambient temperature. As tyres usually have air pressure between 30 to 35 PSI the heat can increase the pressure inside tyres considerably, making them expand. If tyres are worn out or not carefully maintained, this can lead to a tyre burst, according to Hassan Sajjad, owner of Dubai-based Autostatd motor services.
“The summer heat leads to thermal expansion in tyres. Also, rubber and polyurethane products become soft at high temperatures. Along with frictional heat produced by the tyres when on the road, this can lead to extreme wear and tear and increase chances of bursting,” he said.
As tyres usually have air pressure between 30 to 35 PSI the heat can increase the pressure inside tyres considerably, making them expand. If tyres are worn out or not carefully maintained, this can lead to a tyre burst.
"A car’s wheel alignment also plays an important role in causing tyre bursts. If the suspension and wheel alignment is not right, it might appear fine from the outside, but keeps getting damaged internally," he added.
According to the UAE’s Ministry of Interior (MOI) accidents due to burst tyres led to 110 deaths in 2018.
The summer heat leads to thermal expansion in tyres. Also, rubber and polyurethane products become soft at high temperatures. Along with frictional heat produced by the tyres when on the road, this can lead to extreme wear and tear and increase chances of bursting.
How to maintain tyre safety
So, how can you ensure that your tyres are road safe? There are some basic metrics that you can monitor to track your tyre’s road worthiness, including age of the tyre, it’s tread and air pressure.
“As per UAE laws, a tyre's validity is for five years, after which they cannot be used on UAE roads. You can see the year of manufacture on the tyre itself. That must be noted by the customer when they buy the tyres, because they would only be valid for five years from the year of manufacturing,” Anil Chacko, owner of Motoka Auto Services in Dubai, told Gulf News.
As per UAE laws, a tyre's validity is for five years, after which they cannot be used on UAE roads. You can see the year of manufacture on the tyre itself. That must be noted by the customer when they buy the tyres, because they would only be valid for five years from the year of manufacturing.
• If possible, buy all four tyres together to ensure even wear.
• The tyres should be rotated and balanced every 10,000km and at every 15,000km to 20,000km you should get the wheels aligned.
• Check the tyre tread if your vehicle is being used heavily. Often, if your job entails driving long distances, the tyre tread might wear out and the tyres would need to be replaced before the five-year validity.
