Tag Archives: tyres

road safety

Protyre tackles student safety on our roads

If the outer rim is covered your tyre is legal; if not you need professional advice from a tyre fitter you can trust..
Here is some sensible and timely advice for students from leading tyre retailer Protyre.

Many new students are about to start their new term at university. Costs are a particular issue this year because students starting new degree courses are bearing the full brunt of the new tuition fees of up to £9000 pa. Not only that but the cost of car insurance is often greater than the value of the car students are driving and it could be that other motoring bills are postponed in these circumstances.

Protyre certainly appreciates this situation and is doing three important things to help here.

1 Tyre advice
For starters Protyre is advising students not to neglect their tyres or brakes because any such shortcut could seriously compromise their personal safety and that of their passengers as well as others on the road.

2 Free safety check
To help students run cars that are as safe as possible Protyre is now offering students a free 5-point safety check at any of their 49 retail UK outlets. These checks will include tyres, brakes, wipers, under bonnet fluids and lights.

3 A special discount voucher

Finally, recognising the financial imperative, any student who calls in for a free safety check can claim a £10.00 discount voucher redeemable over the coming 12 months on a car service, replacement tyres or brakes.

Staying safe on the road is of paramount importance to young drivers and tyres are the one component that are often overlooked and often allowed to drop below the legal minimum of 1.6mm.

“We have one of the best ranges of good quality tyres at competitive servicing prices,” said Micheldever Retail Director, Simon Hiorns “and our retail centres are all members of the OFT approved Code of Practice for all service and repair work. This means we can provide MOT, car servicing and mechanical repairs at great prices as well as offering advice so students select the right tyre for their car and driving conditions. We recommend that students DO NOT use or buy part worn tyres; we know from experience that too many are illegal and potentially dangerous.”

This echoes FOXY sentiments entirely and now that the Protyre Group are members of the FOXY Choice female friendly garage network ALL motorists can rest assured that they have signed the FOXY Promise to ‘never overcharge, patronise or sell women anything they don’t need or want to buy.’

This is particularly important in an industry with a poor reputation for selling motorists expensive tyres they don’t need, whether they’re male or female, young or old…

Full details of the range and prices for tyres together with a full list of the Protyre outlets please visit www.protyre.co.uk.

cost of motoring, road safety

Take the twenty (p) tyre test

We all know that worn tyres can cause accidents. Think about the trust we place on a bit of rubber when we floor the accelerator… and then remember when you last looked to see if your tyres are safe.

Fortunately women drivers who are members of FOXY Lady Drivers Club can have their tyres checked by a garage professional as part of their quarterly Car Fitness Check regime – no extra charge AND all participating garages have signed the female friendly FOXY Promise to ‘never overcharge, patronise or sell women things they don’t want to buy.’
So there’s peace of mind that you won’t suffer the sort of sales pressure at a FOXY garage that you might if you choose a rogue fastfit or garage by mistake.

But you still need to check your tyres more regularly than this; ideally once a month and, to quote the meerkat,  it’s simples to do.

Just insert a 20p coin into the main tread grooves of your car tyres – if the outer rim of the coin is covered by the tread, this indicates sufficient tread depth to be safe and legal. If the outer rim of the coin is visible, your tyres need attention.

And if the seven year olds in the TyreSafe photo can do it, then so can you.

It’s also a good idea to get into the habit of walking round your car every time before you get in it. You’ll then become used to looking for the likes of a slow puncture or tyre wall damage caused by kerb scuffs or worse.

simples for tyres

Current UK law requires a minimum of 1.6mm of tread across the central three quarters of the tyre, around its entire circumference. If your tyres aren’t legal you can be fined up to £2,500 and three penalty points for each illegal tyre.

In 2009/10, 2.3 million vehicles failed their annual MOT test where ‘tyres’ was one of the reasons for referral and 1.6 million of these were because the car’s tyres did not meet the 1.6mm requirements. I shall remember this stat because of the 1.6 numeric coincidence…

Additionally, the number of drivers prosecuted by courts in England and Wales during 2008 for driving on defective tyres totalled 4,300 convictions (up by 14%). And you would imagine the 2009 figures will reflect the same sort of recessionary pressures to save money on car maintenance (without thinking…).

So in case you have ever doubted it, it really does make safety and financial sense to be a FOXY Lady Driver because our car checks are free and carried out by measurably good and female friendly garages (fast fits and dealerships too).

Why not join the Club now? Or tell your friends and family. All it costs is £23 for a lifetime sub and £3 of that goes to a cancer charity.

Priceless surely when it comes to driver safety alone.

FOXY

cost of motoring, road safety, women drivers

Dangerous tyres for sale – one previous owner

Worrying research carried out by ‘not for profit’ road safety organisation TyreSafe suggests that male and female motorists are more likely to buy part worn tyres than they were 12 months ago. One assumes that this is due to the escalating cost of motoring and the financial pressures that we are all facing.

The problem is that whilst part worn tyres may seem cheap they are a false economy because they can pose a significant safety hazard to the driver, her passengers and other road users. In fact, in 2008 illegal, under-inflated or defective tyres are said to have contributed to the deaths of 34 drivers and the injuries of more than 900 other motorists.

The Chairman of TyreSafe, Stuart Jackson, reminds us that tyres play a critical role in vehicle safety and that there are very strict requirements to do with the sale of part worn tyres. But that, apparently, does not stop part worn tyres getting into the system from unreliable sources that do not meet the required standards. Stuart’s advice is simple and to the point…

“Whilst we understand the financial pressures being faced by [female] motorists today the risks associated with fitting part worn tyres are too high and we would always recommend fitting brand new tyres.”

Unsurprisingly TyreSafe research found that younger and novice drivers are much more likely to compromise their safety by buying part worn tyres compared with older drivers. One in five drivers aged between 18-34 said they were more likely to buy part worn tyres (compared with 12 months ago), whereas only one in twenty drivers aged over 55 said they were more likely to buy part worns.

Part worn tyres can come from a variety of sources making it extremely difficult to know their history. Some come from vehicles which have been written off following an accident; others are put back into service having been changed by their original owner; and many arise from situations where drivers switch between a set of summer and winter tyres and choose to refit brand new tyres rather than refitting their old set.

FOXY’s advice echoes Stuart’s –  don’t buy part used or worn tyres unless you know their pedigree.

But how can the industry convince young student drivers, for example, who are unlikely to be reading blogs like this but who need every financial save they can get, living in debt and on limited funds?

The answer is surely to formalise the supply chain so that any used tyre sale comes with an approved provenence, with liability attached to the seller…

I suspect that is easier to write than do.

FOXY

For more information about tyre safety or the dangers of part worn tyres, visit TyreSafe.

Find out how foxy lady drivers save money on everyday motoring costs

marketing to women

New wheels and high heels for Ascot…

FOXY ladies who need a set of four high performance or 4×4 tyres, please note that Cooper Tire Europe is giving away a fabulous package for four to Ladies Day at Ascot on June 17.

Women drivers buying a set of four Cooper high-performance or 4×4 tyres between now and May 15 will be entered into the free draw to win a full Royal Ascot hospitality package for four people including hotel accommodation and £50 worth of betting vouchers per person.

The winning group will be treated to a stay in the Royal Berkshire Hotel, grandstand and paddock access, a champagne and Pimms reception, lunch and afternoon tea.

Cooper Tire Europe managing director, Julian Baldwin, said, “Ladies Day at Ascot is one of the biggest dates in the society diary, so I’m sure our customers will be hoping not to fall at the first hurdle and be first past the finishing post.”

Every entry to the competition will also receive a free luxury picnic blanket to use on the day.

For more details of the competition, visit www.coopertyrespromotions.co.uk.

FOXY

To find out about other special motoring offers with women drivers in mind visit FOXY Lady Drivers Club.