Tires: most overlooked auto safety feature

AT THE Honda Safety Driving Center, Bridgestone demonstrated several tire conditions that could affect safety while driving.

AS A motorist, your only physical connection to the road is your tires. And if you look closely enough, only a small section of the tire—no larger than your palm—is actually in contact with the road.

Much like a footprint, each of these four small patches of rubber, known as the “contact patch,” handles a great deal of weight and force (especially when the vehicle is moving at tremendous speed), and at the same time, makes a dramatic impact on your vehicle’s handling, ride, braking and safety.

However, in a survey done on repair shops in the United States, it showed that among those frequently skipped maintenance items by motorists include tires (78 percent), brake fluid service (88 percent), and battery check (82 percent).

Perhaps, taking into account that a similar feedback may be gathered should a comparable survey is done here, Bridgestone Philippines brought fresh awareness to the importance of tires as among the most important safety devices on a vehicle.

“It is crucial we launch the ‘Hindi Na Pwede Ang Pwede Na ’Yan’ advocacy campaign. What many fail to realize is that many accidents and road mishaps would not have happened had these affected motorists only relied on quality tires. This is why Bridgestone Philippines hopes to educate drivers about tire importance. Go back to basics,” said Ruby Gan of Bridgestone Philippines’ Marketing Division during the advocacy launch held at the Honda Safety Driving Center in Sucat, Parañaque City.

Yearlong campaign

Through a series of information drives and events, Bridgestone Philippines informed it will push the “Hindi Na Pwede Ang Pwede Na ’Yan” campaign throughout the year.

As a way to reach out to more drivers across the country, Bridgestone is set to roll out a new Free Tire Check Service program in all its tire centers nationwide.

(For more information and videos on the Bridgestone campaigns, follow Bridgestone Philippines on Facebook, @BridgestonePH on Instagram and Twitter, and visit www.bridgestonetires. com.ph.)

To show guests at the Honda Safety Driving Center why this campaign is important, Bridgestone demonstrated to participants several tire conditions that could affect safety and efficiency while driving.

The first demonstration compared a worn-out tire with a new one when driven to a wet and slippery road.

The second demonstration compared an under-inflated tire with one having proper inflation pressure. The demonstration showed how properly inflated tires could help one to safely maneuver and control a vehicle when dodging a deep pothole, as well as avoid any object that could suddenly pop up ahead.

Pressure

The event also included discussions on tire care like pressure. This is crucial considering that a tubeless tire can lose up to half of its required inflation pressure and not appear to be flat.

Under inflation results in unnecessary tire stress, irregular wear, loss of control, and accidents.

To check your tires’ proper inflation level, refer to your vehicle owners’ manual, or check it in the tire placard (or sticker) attached to the vehicle door edge (B-pillar) or in the glove box.

Tread

Tire tread must not be overlooked too. Advanced and unusual wear can reduce the ability of tread to grip the road in adverse conditions.

Visually check your tires for uneven wear, looking for high and low areas or unusually smooth areas. Also check for signs of damage. Take note that unusual tire wear may be due to bad wheel alignment.

Have a tire dealer check the alignment periodically to ensure that your car is properly aligned.

Service life

Know when to replace your current tires. A tire is composed of various materials and rubber compounds that may change over time depending on several factors such as weather, storage conditions (before its sale), and conditions of use.

Some automakers tell their buyers to replace tires six years after their production date, regardless of tread life.

To know the age of your tires, look for the Tire Identification Number (or serial TIN) that shows the date of manufacture.

The last four digits (for those made from 2000 up to the present) indicate the week and year that the tire was made (for example the last four digits that says 1215 means the tire was manufactured on the 12th week of 2015).