The Automotive Blog

UK Ambulance Service Start A Trial Of AirAlert With Case to Install To Fleet
A UK ambulance service has recently started a trial of the TPM System from aide automotive ltd, AirAlert is a reactive warning Tyre Pressure Monitoring Device.

Once installed the device will blink when a loss of PSI occurs (4PSI for cars & 8 PSI for commercial vehicles), so just walking up to the vehicle will highlight a under inflated tyre.

AirAlert is ideal for commercial vehicles and trailers, when a tyre valve is not visible the devices LED will blink so bright, the LED will show on surrounding surface areas, making inner axled tyres easily checked.

Ambulance tyre pressures are critical due to weight and response driving, with this the staff of this service have requested the authority to review ways of checking and preventing accidents due to under inflated tyres.

The trial will run for a least a month for all managers and staff to review how an Air Alert TPMS can help.

Contact aide automotive ltd for further information on TPMS.

Tyre Pressure Monitoring is an essential part of your vehicle maintenance routine because statistics prove that you’re more likely than not to be driving on under-inflated tyres!  One company  checked the tyre condition of 38,000 cars in nine European countries, the results showed a staggering 71% of participating motorists were driving on tyres inflated to a lower than recommended pressure.

The majority of these under-inflated tyres were admittedly less than 0.5 bar under pressure, yet 7.5 per cent of motorists’ tyres were more than 0.5 bar under pressure and half a percent of motorists were driving on tyres at least 0.75 bar under pressure.

By checking the pressure of your tyres, you’ll be preventing the chance of blow outs, which could result in a serious  or fatal accident.  Also by maintating the correct tyre pressure of your vehicle you’ll run a mnore efficient vehicle too.

Check out tyre pressure monitors such as PressurePro or Air Alert.

Brake Testing and Tyre Pressure Monitoring have never been so important for fleet managers!  The first ever criminal case of corporate manslaughter recently reached it’s final verdict and Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings were found guilty of the death of a 27-year-old geologist, who died when a trench in which he was working collapsed. Prosecutors successfully argued that the company had failed to take reasonably precautions to prevent the trench from collapsing and protect Alex Wright, the geologist from his working conditions.

Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings, his employer has been fined £385,000, this is a smaller amount than originally anticipated and there was no prison sentence either. However this is a significant fine however small or large your business. This case acts as an example to all organisations to ensure that helath and safety is top of the corporate agenda.

Companies running fleets of vehicles should take heed of the sentencing and ensure that they are not only regularly testing and checking brakes and tyres of their vehicles but can also demonstrate that they have been following these procedures.

aide automotive have two products that can ensure these health and safety checks are carried out and to avoid any such cases being bought against your company!

For Tyre Pressure Monitoring use PressurePro or Air Alert to ensure your vehicle has the correct PSI for your tyres

For Brake Testing use BrakeCheck,

Many companies are still not taking these procedures seriously but this first case should now demonstrate how serious an issue corporate manslaughter is to a business

Brake Testing for commercial vehicles

Tyre Pressure Monitor, PressurePro

Tyre Pressure Monitoring will become a mandatory element of the MOT testing from January 2012, all vehicles tyres will need to be tested as part of the inspection. This positive move from the industry recognises the importance from a health and safety prospective of testing the PSI of tyres regularly. Many companies are already considering TPM as part of their health and safety procedures, as ensuring tyres are the correct PSI for a vehicle can prevent serious accidents.

The industry is also making moves to include tyre pressure monitoring as a standard procedure, from 2012 all new vehicles will be fitted with tyre pressure monitors from 2012.

However if an organisation wants to ensure that their vehicles are safe on the roads, before this legislation kicks in, investment in tyre pressure monitor such as Pressure Pro or Air Alert will ensure tyres are correctly inflated and avoid unecessary accidents.

Tyre Pressure Monitoring device

Tyre pressure monitoring of fleets of vehicles improves safety and saves cash.

TyreSafe is currently reminding organisations that running car and vans on their correct tyre pressure can optimise safety, cut CO2 emissions and fuel consumption as well as resulting  in longer tyre life.

TyreSafe chairman, Stuart Jackson, comments: Reduced fuel bills are possible by simply making sure tyres are inflated to the correct pressure, so at a time when every penny counts for many motorists, just a few extra minutes taking these simple steps can pay real dividends.”

It is a fact that under inflated tyres cause higher fuel consumption. The tyres have an increased rolling resistance, which means that the engine has to work harder and more fuel is used, making the car less economical. Calculations from one TyreSafe member show that when tyres are under-inflated by just 20 percent or around 6psi, 3 percent more fuel is used.

Jackson adds: “Vehicle safety is always paramount, but making sure tyres are correctly inflated has the very attractive benefit of reduced fuel bills, which is especially important in tough economic times. Motorists needn’t be throwing money away just by making a few straight forward tyre pressure checks.”

A recent TyreSafe survey showed that an astonishing 36% of vehicles were found to be driving with tyres considered to be dangerous as they were under-inflated by more than 8psi.

To monitor your tyres on a regular basis, try a product such as Pressurepro or Air Alert  and you too could start saving on your fuel consumption

Tyre pressure monitor to avoid underinflated tyres

Monitor Tyre Pressure on a regular basis to prevent serious accidents caused by blow outs. A recent accident could have been prevented by simple tyre pressure monitoring. Passengers were thrown through windows and doors when a minibus overturned on the M1 following a tyre blow-out last July. The accident resulted in twelve people being taken to hospital, three of which were seriously injured. Three air ambulances were called to the scene of the accident The cause of the accident was witnessed as a blow out from the driver’s side rear tyre, causing the vehicle to overturn. Tyre blow-outs ma be considered unpredictable, but tyre pressure monitors can constantly check tyre pressure and avoid the majority of tyre blow outs. aide automotive has two products that help with tyre pressure monitoring, PressurePro and Air Alert. Visit aide automotive to find out about our range of automotive products

One of aide automotive's tyre pressure monitors

Tyre Pressure Monitoring will be a compulsory feature of any new car from 2012. European legislation states that new cars will be fitted with tyre pressure monitoring systems (TPMS). With many modern vehicles already being fitted with them it’s surprising that more people aren’t using tyre pressure monitors on their vehicles.

Kwik Fit’s 2008 Annual Tyre Pressure Review found just over 46 per cent of cars tested had at least one tyre underinflated. If this ratio is applied to the number of UK registrations, a staggering 12.46 million cars could be running on the roads like this, using £1.5 billion pounds of extra fuel and creating literally thousands of extra tons of carbon emissions. That 30 per cent extra tyre wear also means that an unnecessary 108,000 tyres each year have to be manufactured and disposed of too.

By using a tyre pressure monitor like PressurePro you’d be greatly reducing the chances of a blow out, increasing the efficent running of your vehicle and expanding the lifespan of a tyre

Tyre Pressure Monitoring

Kuehne and Nagal  have purchased 1,000 Air Alert devices to implement tyre pressure monitoring on the vehicles they use for their Waitrose contract. Jas Sittre, Fleet Manager stated “We originally trialled the device to review improved fuel economy, we did see a small improvement but found the major benefits to be alerts to slow punctures and loss of pressure, this device will save down time and stop potential blow outs”. The product has had such an impact on this contract that they’re now looking to roll it out across their other contracts!

AirAlert is a cost saving device that helps eliminate the guesswork out of determining the correct tyre pressure. This device is simple to install directly onto your tyres and sends a reactive warning, by blinking when a loss of PSI occurs (4PSI for cars & 8 PSI for commercial vehicles), so just walking up to the vehicle will highlight an under inflated tyre.

Matt Burke, sales director of aide automotive the suppliers of Air Alert says “Checking tyre pressure on a regular basis is an important health and safety procedure.  Not only does it give peace of mind knowing that your tyres are inflated properly for optimum performance and handling it also assists in lowering maintenance costs, reducing fuel use and saving tyre tread. The life of your tyre is extended due to less tread wear and protects and saves the tyre casing, reducing the chance of blowouts.”

Tyre Pressure Monitor Air Alert

As this week marks the 10th annual National Camping and Caravanning Week (29 May – 4 June 2010). TyreSafe has recognised the importance of caravan tyre safety by launching a new section on its website dedicated to this topic. The idea being to give avid caravanners technical tips and information aimed at keeping caravan owners safe and legal on the roads.

The popularity of camping and caravanning has grown massively in recent years and many of those new to caravanning may not appreciate the high demands placed on their caravan’s tyres,” explains Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe. “Making sure your caravan’s tyres are in a good condition, correctly inflated and not overloaded is a vital factor in staying safe on the road. The new caravan section on our website is designed to clearly explain these key issues and provide some practical tips and advice that owners can follow with ease, helping to ensure their holiday journeys pass off without incident.”

aide automotive has two products that help with tyre pressure monitoring and are ideal for caravans motorhomes and cars.  Air Alert and PressurePro are two slightly different systems that aid motorists in ensuring they have the correct tyre pressure for their vehicle.

Air Alert - Tyre Pressure Monitor Device

PressurePro - Tyre Pressure Monitor