TyreInfo

Foundation of our Societies

Monday, November 21, 2016

Every item that we consume, be it food or a material item has more than likely arrived to us via the support of tyres.
A city is dependent upon the army of vehicles to bring goods into the distribution facilities, yes granted some arrives via rail but it has been taken to and from the rail by vehicles with pneumatic tyres.

Tyres provide a reliable and dependant platform to base our modern transportation on. Some jurisdictions are employing vehicles with multiple trailers for economy, platooning and even autonomous freight trucks are no longer something of science fiction, they’re here!

Yet all the developments are based on the foundation of the pneumatic tyre.

Tyres are being asked to do more, with less and at reduced cost.

Higher performance and reduced noise are predominant demands now. Here’s a curved ball; electric cars may be required to have some audio device to emit warning sounds for pedestrians, what about a tyre that emits noise up to 20 km/hr then becomes progressively silent in comparison?

Then there’s the fact that tyres for most are a grudge purchase, why? Why is it that people across many different jurisdictions all share the same complaint, “I have to pay for tyres again”? These tyres enable the ease of movement in our societies, the transportation of goods from point of production to place of consumption, yet we begrudge paying the few cents a kilometre a tyre costs. Some will even ignore the tyres requirements of just maintaining the appropriate inflation pressure. Others will complain when a tyre wears in an irregular fashion but not consider the vehicle driving the tyres, “it’s the tyres fault” is an oft heard statement of grief.

Is it the duty of the rubber industry, which relies upon tyres if for nothing else but transportation of goods to educate the general public into understanding the complex role a tyre plays in our physical wellbeing, in our societies (regardless of politics or beliefs) tyres play the same role!

Tyres are truly the international ambassador of trade. They are the same the world over, will fit the vehicles wheels in the same manner, will operate in the same manner and ask for the same respect to perform to their upmost, “please maintain the pressure at an appropriate level” is a simple request.

We place our trust in tyres to perform on our road systems, at different speeds and vastly different loads. We trust our tyres to react whenever we steer the vehicle, accelerate or brake, our trust is total. Did you check your tyres before you rode on them this morning?

Why are tyres a grudge purchase? What can we as an industry do to cause a revision of this situation? Why is it important?

As an industry providing a mobile foundation for society a lot is required, and a lot is requested. The previous point about eco-friendly tyres, using less fuel, generating less noise, at a lower cost are all fair requests but the provision of these features requires massive R&D, which costs someone somewhere. Why do people begrudge investing in their own safety?

Tyres, the foundation of our modern mobile society. Invest a little time to understand how your tyres support you in everyday life, educate others to understand the critical role tyres play in our daily lives. Generate some respect for the foundation that carries us to work and home every day, that enables us to have food on our plates.

Tyres, the forgotten factor in road safety. When you ask for them to be there, you want them to perform to their upmost, it may mean the difference of today and tomorrow.

Look after yours and they’ll look after you!

Adam Gosling heads up TyreSafe Australia, the corporate mantra of “if your tyres are not turning they are not earning” is the basis for value adding and profit generation services provided on a global basis.