Tyre Safety

DIY giant B&Q is installing PCL’s D93 Air and Water Tower at its distribution centres to provide visitors and staff with a free tyre inflation facility.

Pneumatic Components (PCL), the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of pneumatic and tyre inflation systems, is reminding drivers and fleet operators of the importance of having correctly inflated tyres this Tyre Safety Month (October).

From tyre lifespan, to safety and fuel economy, having too much or not enough air in tyres can have wide-ranging implications.

PCL says that some three per cent more fuel is used if the tyre inflation level is 6psi below what it should be. Furthermore, by regularly checking tyre pressures and making sure they are at 100 per cent of the manufacturer-recommended psi, the lifespan of the tyres is maximised, which also saves money.

TyreSafe, the UK charity which organises Tyre Safety Month, estimates that under-inflated tyres cost UK consumers £600m per year.

Under-inflated and defective tyres are the primary cause of most road traffic accidents. When tyres are not correctly

Pneumatic Components (PCL), the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of pneumatic and tyre inflation systems, has partnered with Highways England in a series of tyre pressure safety events across England.

Held at motorway service stations, the events are designed to raise awareness of having correctly inflated tyres and highlight the potential consequences of over or under-inflated tyres.

Irene Stewart, Road Safety Engineer at Highways England, said: “Tyre-related incidents are a major problem on our motorway network and therefore it is critical that we get out there to raise awareness, and remind and encourage people to check the condition and pressure of their tyres on a regular basis.

“It’s alarming the sheer volume of people that think a slightly underinflated tyre won’t pose a problem, but combine this with other risk factors such as tread depth of less than 2mm, heavy rain, high winds or the need to quickly steer around an obstruction,

Sheffield-based tyre inflation expert PCL has provided Glasgow City Council with a safer solution for tyre maintenance on its Environmental Protection Services vehicles.

This followed reports being circulated in the industry about a fatal accident where a private sector employee was killed when a tyre blew out during inflation.

This prompted the council to look at enhancing safety procedures when its staff were taking tyre pressures as part of their vehicle checks.

PCL's Brian Beech, in Technical Sales, was asked to recommend the best product to service the Council's varied fleet of vehicles, including vans and lorries, at four city depots.

Brian recommended PCL's ACCURA 10 wall-mounted gauge which is self-calibrating, fail-safe, and easy to use. He said: "Tyre inflation with the ACCURA 10 provides superior vehicle performance through greater safety, increased fuel economy and longer tyre life. Glasgow City Council employees were given training to enable

PCL has pledged support for campaign group TyreSafe as part of its drive to promote tyre safety amongst consumers

PCL is world-leading provider of high quality, reliable and cost-effective equipment for fast and accurate tyre inflation, and its Made in Sheffield” products are a familiar sight in garage forecourts, tyre shops and engineering workshops throughout the UK. The company is committed to educating motorists about why tyre maintenance is vital to road safety, and PCL’s knowledge and expertise will prove invaluable to TyreSafe, a not for profit, non commercial organisation set up to keep drivers safe.

PCL is the first non tyre company or retailer to join the original 14 companies responsible for forming TyreSafe at the beginning of 2007. Director Simon Shorter said: “We have been very impressed