Maintaining Roadworthiness

Overview o Tyres within the DVSA Guide to Maintaining Vehicle Roadworthiness o Service Station Tyre Checks (understanding the impact tyres have on roadworthiness) o Poor Tyre Maintenance o Good Tyre Maintenance o Tyre Choices and Roadworthiness

Tyres within the ‘Guide to maintaining vehicle roadworthiness’

DVSA Guide - Driver Walk Around Checks ‘The person made responsible by the operator must carry out a minimum of one check in 24 hours….the walk around check should cover the external condition, ensuring in particular that the lights, tyres, wheel fixings, bodywork, trailer coupling, load security and ancillary equipment are serviceable.’

DVSA Guide - Hire, Loan or Lease Vehicles Hired vehicles should be inspected by a member of staff from the rental company prior to being made available for each rental. This pre-rental inspection should include all major mechanical parts, exterior and interior condition and electronic equipment, fluids, tyre condition and pressure …. This inspection, along with a walk around check, by the operator will help ensure that the vehicle being used is roadworthy.

DVSA Guide - Brake Testing ‘Every safety inspection must assess the braking performance of the vehicle or trailer’ i.e tyres

Service Station Tyre Checks

Service Station Tyre Checks - Overview Objective Understand the level of tyre knowledge truck drivers have Free tyre checks at Warwick and Strensham service stations Short survey with each driver

Service Station Tyre Checks - Sample Size days 90 driver surveys 103 trucks inspected 934 tyres 2 days 81 driver surveys 85 trucks inspected 1033 tyres

Service Station Tyre Checks - Analysis 4% increase in drivers’ checking their tyres before every journey 14% increased knowledge of legal truck tyre tread depth 57.8% of tyres in 2012 sample were premium, compared to 72.5% in 2014 No. of drivers who do not know they are responsible for fines, if their tyres are illegal, has increased by 1% Based on our findings, are truck drivers now more aware of the condition of their tyres and how this can impact on the roadworthiness of their vehicles? No. of drivers who did not know when their pressures were last checked has increased by 6%

Poor Tyre Maintenance

Continued driving in underinflated conditions Belt wire corrosion Poor tyre service, leading to unnecessary penetrations Belt wire corrosion Poor tyre service, leading to unnecessary penetrations Stone penetration Incorrect tyre used for vehicle application Stone penetration Incorrect tyre used for vehicle application Excessive shoulder wear Incorrect inflation/vehicle alignment Cracks above the bead Overloaded and/or under-inflation Cracks above the bead Overloaded and/or under-inflation

Good Tyre Maintenance

o Service providers can optimise tyre husbandry ensuring the best possible performance and life from tyres. Regular checks should include: Tyre Pressure o Carried out when the tyres are cold o Ensuring pressures are adjusted to the vehicle manufacturers’ recommended tyre pressure for axle loads o Using a reliable and accurate pressure gauge Tyre Condition o Cleaning dirt from valves and ensuring valve caps are fitted to each wheel o Stones and other objects embedded in tread are removed, with damage or uneven wear reported Tyre Depth o Ideally checks should take place at least once a month o The recommended removal depth is 2mm to ensure the full run-out of the tyre Tyre Regrooving o According to your service providers’ recommendations

Good Tyre Maintenance o Optimum mileage potential o Even wear profile o Reduced vehicle downtime o Cost savings o Optimum fuel economy (up to £2000 savings per vehicle) Estimates of fuel saving calculated by Goodyear GIC*L compared to the average of three leading competitors based on TUEV SUED rolling resistance test (No ) for a tractor- trailer combination on sizes 315/70R22.5” on Steer and Drive and 385/55R22.5” on Trailer, assuming an average fuel consumption of 34L/100km, a mileage of 150,000km/year with an average fuel price of £1.35 per litre. Actual results may vary based on, but not restricted to, road and weather conditions, driving style, wear conditions, tyre size, tyre pressure and vehicle maintenance.

Tyre Choice - Label

Summary o Tyres play a big role in ensuring vehicle roadworthiness o Industry is becoming more aware of this, however we need to ensure drivers are more educated o Effective tyre maintenance should be practiced, minimising the risk of tyre related breakdowns o The industry is evolving and fleets can now use independent data to ensure they are fitting the most appropriate tyres to their vehicles