Poor tyre maintenance can be deadly, UAE motorists told
Looking after your car’s tyres is as important for your safety as wearing a seat-belt when driving, so says a local car tyre expert.
According to Asad Badami, Managing director for A-MAP, a leading UAE distributor of automotive spare parts and accessories, allowing their tread to become worn or running them on incorrect pressures can result in serious mishap and even lead to death or injury.
The aftermarket specialist, whose company is the sole distributor of FENIC performance tyres across the UAE, as well as through branches in Asia, Africa, and North America, believes that most drivers are unaware about just how much their vehicle’s tyres influence its performance and safety.
“Car tyres work properly only under specific conditions - driving with under or over inflated tyres can be just as dangerous as driving without a seatbelt,” said Badami.
“Inflation levels and tread affect balance and alter the way that the vehicle grips the road, so breaking distances can be compromised - particularly at high speeds,” he added.
Badami explained that the reason why tyres are the single most important safety feature of a car is because they are the medium through which the vehicle interacts with the road. They work by creating friction, known as ‘grip’ between the rubber of the treads and the road surface, thereby preventing the tyres from skating across the road surface. The amount of air in the tyres affects the amount of contact that the tyre makes with the road, with under-inflated tyres particularly dangerous.
Badami warned that the consequences of poorly maintained tyres could be fatal.
“Underinflated tyres have a greater surface area making contact with the road, causing more friction, and generating more heat - this in turn causes the tyre to wear faster and can lead to tread separation where the read detaches from the tire body, and even blowouts,” he said.
“Tyre pressure should be checked at least once a month, and only when the tyre has cooled down. They need to be inflated to the correct pressure which is usually found on a sticker in the door sill next to the driver’s seat, or in the glove compartment,” Badami added.