MICHELIN INTRODUCES “THE TIRE DIGEST” TO KEEP MOTORISTS’ HEADS COOL DURING THE HOT SUMMER Everything you wanted to know about tires, but were afraid to ask, now available on the tiredigest.michelin It’s that time of the year again, when temperatures rise up to a scorching 50 degrees and high humidity turns any contact with the outside air into a sauna experience. Keeping your head cool during the hot summer months in the Middle East is not an easy job. The extreme heat can be taxing for you and your car, as well as its different components - not in the least for the tires. Long trips, heavy loads, high speeds and higher temperatures all put additional stress on them. Taking care of your tires, a car’s only contact with the road, will carry you and your family safely and comfortably through the hot summer months, and avoid any costly repairs.The statistics on road safety accidents in the UAE, which were recently issued by the Traffic Coordination Department at the Ministry of Interior, showed a lack of awareness for the importance of well-maintained tires. These statistics revealed that the number of road accidents caused by tire bursts in 2014 rose from 15 to 19 - a 26% increase compared to 2013 - during which 5 people died. As an aid to motorists, Michelin has created an online tire digest thetiredigest.michelin, which offers useful tips on tire maintenance as well as an interesting look at how complex and technologically advanced a tire really is.Below is a selection of these useful tips that will help motorists stay safe while on the road during the hot summer months: 1.Regularly check the state of all your four tires at the same time for signs of obvious damage or abnormal wear. Look for any visible signs of wear or damage, such as deep cracks, exposed cables, cuts or uneven wear of the tires. To check the remaining service life of the tires, you can use a tread depth gauge (available at any tire specialist), or rely on the wear indicators that most tires have. Regularly check the tread depth at several points on the tire and consult a specialist in case of doubt. The minimum legal tread depth required is 1.6 mm for passenger car tires. 2.Check the pressure of your tires at least once a month. Apart from the fact that they wear more quickly, poorly inflated tires affect the overall performance of the vehicle, including braking distance, handling, safety and fuel consumption. Always check the pressure when the tires are “cold”, meaning you haven’t driven the car for at least 2 hours or for not more than 3 km, in order to obtain the most precise measurement. If you do check the pressure when the tires are warm, then add 0.3 bar to the recommended level. You can find the recommended inflation pressure near the door latch on the drivers side or in your car’s manual. Don’t forget to carry out this check on all four tires, as well as your spare wheel. 3.Ensure that your tires are properly balanced. If you feel vibration through the steering wheel or through the vehicle body, your tires could be incorrectly balanced. Have them professionally balanced at a reputable dealer and not only will you avoid uneven and premature wear of the tires but you will also reduce excessive stress on the suspension components. 4.Have the alignment of your tires checked by a professional. Whenever you drive over a large object in the road or hit a pothole or pavement, the wheels could become misaligned. This can affect the handling of the vehicle and will cause the tires to wear unevenly and prematurely. 5.Take your car to a reputable tire dealer for examination in case of a flat tire. He will be able to advise you if there is damage to the tire’s structure and if it is repairable or not. 6.Permutate the tires in accordance with the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendation. By switching tires front to rear (usually around 5000 km), wear is optimised over the four tires. 7. Keep an eye on the suspension. Old or worn shock absorbers can cause faster tire wear and impact vehicle handling. 8.Never overload your vehicle. Overloading increases tire wear and fuel consumption, adversely affects vehicle handling and stability, and increases the braking distance. Michelin, the leading tire company, is dedicated to sustainably improving the mobility of goods and people by manufacturing and marketing tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, motorcycles, earthmovers, farm equipment and trucks. It also offers electronic mobility support services on ViaMichelin and publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in more than 170 countries, has 111,200 employees and operates 67 production plants in 17 different countries. The Group has a Technology Center in charge of research and development with operations in Europe, North America and Asia. The Michelin regional headquarters for Africa, India, and the Middle East is based in Dubai, UAE (michelin).
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 05:27:32 +0000
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