Industry experts have stepped up to educate UAE citizens regarding issues and significance of tire’s safety. Kenneth Arnold, who is the General Manager of ZDEGREE, an auto maintenance workshop in Dubai, says that tires hold a significant role in the safety of the vehicle, as they are the only part of a vehicle, which remain in contact with the road. They advise motorists to only use tires certified by Gulf Standards Organization (GSO).
Every year, a number of tire bursting incidents are reported, especially in the summer season, which asks for establishing awareness among drivers to take care of their vehicle’s tires.
Emirates Authority Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA) is conducting various training programs and controlling the quality of the tires sold in Dubai to increase awareness among drivers. ESMA has also decided to ensure and implement installation of smart chips in tires by the end of 2017.
“Tires perform well when they are properly inflated. If the tires are underinflated, the temperature inside the tires go up significantly. This along with scorching summer heat makes things worse and can lead to a tire failure and at times can be very damaging,” said Arnold.
“The right pressure to be followed in tires is as per car manufacturers’ recommendations and you will find it on the owner’s manual and in the tire placard pasted at the driver’s side door or on the fuel tank lid,” he added.
Besides changing tires at the right time, they also need to be maintained regularly. Here is how you can maintain tire’s safety:
- Regularly check the pressure of the tires
- Examine tires to find any embedded objects in its tread
- Go for tire balance and alignment while installing new tires, and perform these checks regularly.
- Rotate tires after every 8,000kms
- Follow the tread wear indicator on the sidewall to know when tires should be changed