Use certified tyres to ensure safety on roads, says expert
dubai — Regular tyre check is a must during hot summer months as tyre burst is one of the major causes of road accidents, often leading to serious injuries and death, according to a safety expert.
“Tyre safety is important especially now that summer is coming to reach its peak as we enter the month of August,” Kenneth Arnold, general manager at ZDegree, a Dubai-based automotive maintenance company, told Khaleej Times.
Early this week, Khaleej Times has reported that tyre burst has been blamed for 56 traffic accidents in one emirate alone (Ras Al Khaimah) in the first six months of the year. Some road accidents have also been attributed to tyre bursts in major highways in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
“Vehicles in the UAE have to deal with harsh climate, including hot rays from the sun,” Arnold explained. “Tyres play a significant role in ensuring the car’s safety because they are the only part of the vehicle that comes in direct contact with the road’s surface.
“Therefore, tyres in the region should bear approval and certification from the Gulf Standards Organisation (GSO) – certifying that these tyres can be utilised safely across warm climate conditions present in the region.”
Arnold noted that several awareness and training programmes are being implemented by tyre companies and government entities like the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA) to reduce the proliferation of non-certified tyres in the UAE.
“Those initiatives help consumers to differentiate between sub-standard products and efficient ones. They are also made aware to understand the production week mentioned on a tyre’s sidewall so they can insist on purchasing only a fresh set of tyres,” noted Arnold.
Another initiative is ESMA’s move to involve tyre companies in promoting radio-frequency identification (RFID) tagging. RFID enables manufacturers to identify, track and manage tyres fro the production to distribution process. But more importantly, it is the utmost responsibility of car owners to check their tyres, Arnold underlined.
angel@khaleejtimes.com
Tyres in the region should bear approval and certification from the Gulf Standards Organisation (GSO) – certifying that these tyres can be utilised safely across warm climate conditions present in the region.”
Kenneth Arnold, GM, ZDegree