Tyre safety workshop held ahead of festive season

The South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC), in partnership with the Road Accident Fund (RAF), held a tyre safety workshop with law enforcement officials in Gqeberha recently to reinforce SA’s tyre laws.

SA Police Service, metro police and other law enforcement personnel were also in attendance.

Following the workshop, a commuter education roadblock was held on the N2 near the Seaview Road exit, to educate consumers about tyre laws and to perform free tyre checks ahead of the festive season.

“As the festive season approaches, we see a significant increase in road accidents each year,” RAF spokesperson William Maphutha said.

“Many of these could be avoided by ensuring one’s car is safe and roadworthy for travel.”

SATMC managing executive Nduduzo Chala said: “Because tyres play a significant role in the safety of a vehicle, we’ve partnered with the RAF to educate and reinforce SA’s tyre laws by conducting these workshops and commuter educational roadblocks.”

The tyre safety workshop was held at the Nelson Mandela Bay Traffic College.

The training was conducted by Continental Tyres technical manager Lance Williams and covered three key elements of tyre safety.

Law enforcement then educated consumers on these three elements and provided free tyre checks during a commuter roadblock held the next day:

• Ensure your tyre pressure is correct: Your tyres should always be inflated to the level indicated on the inside of the driver’s door. If there is no sticker on the door, you can usually find the specs in the owner’s manual. It is essential to check your tyres and know your recommended inflation levels so as not to overload your tyres. Underinflated tyres may cause tyre failure because of movement in the tyre sidewall. Overinflated tyres may decrease traction on the road, giving you a bouncy ride and an ill-handling car;
• Check that the tread depth is not less than 1.6mm: “More tread means more grip, especially in wet conditions. Tread depth plays an essential role in vehicle control and braking distances. It is important to check the tread depth across the entire width of the tyre as the outer tread may be deeper than the inner. This can be checked with a dedicated tread gauge or by using the built-in tread wear indicator on your tyres. This is a small rubber insert set at 1.6mm in the grooves of your tyre; and
• Second-hand tyre checks: More than 60% of second-hand tyres sold in SA are illegal. Second-hand tyres are a cheaper alternative when replacing your car’s tyres, but due diligence needs to be taken to ensure that these tyres are, in fact, still roadworthy and safe to drive.

“We appreciate the support of the RAF and Eastern Cape law enforcement in educating consumers about tyre laws and the importance of tyre safety,” Chala said.

“Tyres are a safety-critical component in a vehicle.

“So we urge all motorists to check their tyres regularly and, if necessary, replace them with tyres from accredited/reputable tyre dealers.

“Having our consumers stay safe on the road during the festive season remains our priority.”