PEMBROKESHIRE CLASSIC CAR CLUB

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE HAS BEEN REPRODUCED IN IT'S ENTIRETY FROM

THE FEDERATION OF BRITISH HISTORIC VEHICLE CLUBS

23 May
After a fatal accident, FBHVC says check your tyres!

And by that, it doesn't just mean checking the tyre pressures and making sure there is enough tread, but making sure the side walls are in good condition and the tyres not unduly old.

Her Majesty's Coroner for Manchester has written to FBHVC with details of an accident that took place last year in which the driver of an H registered MG B lost his life when a rear tyre burst on the M56. Evidence shows that the driver was a skilled mechanic and a careful and experienced driver who was not travelling particularly fast at the time. The car was described by police as being maintained in an excellent condition. The surviving passenger said that just before the accident the driver had commented that a "tyre wobble" had developed and he was going to "drive through it". The wobble went briefly, but then the tyre burst, causing the car to spin, clip a kerb and flip over.

Subsequent investigation showed that - although hardly used - the tyre was 25 years old. It was one of a set of as-new tyres and wheels purchased at an autojumble the previous year for use for show purposes - at the time of the incident the car was on its way to a show at Oulton Park.

FBHVC included this note in its Newsletter in December 2003:

The Daily Telegraph recently carried a piece in the 'Honest John' column suggesting that tyre age was to become a testable item in the MoT test. We immediately contacted the Vehicle Standards and Engineering Division at the Department for Transport and were advised that although most tyres already carry dates of manufacture in their side-walls, there are no plans to implement regulations to check such dates at the annual MoT test. DfT would, of course, change their mind if tyre failure due to age became a significant cause of accidents.

The British Rubber Manufacturers Association suggests that if a tyre is six years old and remains unused it should not be put into service. It also suggests that in ideal conditions tyres may have a life expectancy of 10 years. Clearly, if DfT did decide to implement tyre date testing, there would be considerable implications for owners of older vehicles and we would certainly be making appropriate representations.

The moral of the story is not to wait for the government to impose tyre testing on everyone, but to make sure your own tyres are in good condition, never use undated second hand tyres and never try to drive through a "tyre wobble".

THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE DAILY MAIL IN JANUARY 2007

High-pressure washers 'can turn a tyre into a killer'

 18th January 2007

 

High-pressure car washers are putting lives at risk by making tyres susceptible to blow- outs, safety experts have warned.

Jets of water from the machines can damage and degrade the tyre wall if aimed directly at it for as little as five seconds, says the industry body TyreSafe.

It is concerned that a growing army of car-wash teams using the high-pressure washers in car parks and at the roadside could be putting motorists at risk.

It is also urging those who may have bought one of the machines for home use to check it is not too powerful and take care when aiming the jet at tyres.

Tyresafe spokesman Chris Wakley said: "We received several calls and emails from people who had experienced low tyre pressure after having their cars washed by hand car-wash teams. Our own research indicated that industrial type pressure washers can damage the sidewall of a tyre and lead to a potentially dangerous situation where a tyre could burst when it is being driven."

TyreSafe, formerly known as the Tyre Industry Council, says that a light-to-medium duty pressure washer - with a maximum pressure of 110bar or less - should be used to clean tyres.

It says motorists who have bought one of the machines should check to see if it is one of the more powerful varieties and, if so, consider changing it.

The group fears that many small car-wash teams may be using heavy duty equipment carelessly.

There are thought to be between 5,000 and 10,000 of the two or threeman teams in operation.

There has been a particular boom in the South-East, where hosepipe bans have discouraged motorists from washing their own vehicles.

Mr Wakely added: "Hand car-wash teams have sprung up all over the place and in many cases they do a great job.

But motorists using them should indicate to the washer that they should not get too close when cleaning tyres with these high pressure machines."

German safety group Dekra has discovered that if a washer nozzle is held close to a tyre at very high pressure, serious damage can occur in five seconds.

TyreSafe noted: "Even tyres that appear normal after being subjected to a pressure washer may have microscopic perforations, which can weaken the sidewall and cause a possible blow-out."

Other contributory factors to sidewall damage include the width of the water jet and the strength of any soaps or detergents used.

Strong soap can remove protective chemicals that are embedded in the sidewall, usually resulting in brown watermarks

Article written by RAY MASSEY (Transport Editor) Daily Mail Newspapers