Good tyres are those that, thanks to their parameters, allow proper driving and provide a shortened braking distance. How to get to know such products when planning its purchase? What to avoid? What to look for and what to ask sellers? Tyres can save our lives in a critical situation on the road. Properly selected, good quality tyres can shorten the braking distance even from a few to several meters! It is worth remembering the 3P rule regarding tyres: decent tyres, professional service, correct pressure. For more advice, visit www.oponymajamoc.pl.
For thrifty people we have advice – the cheapest tyres will have to be replaced more often, because they will deteriorate faster. What's worse, their braking distances and skid resistance are not much better than tyre models from several decades ago.
Prudent, in turn, it is worth reminding that adding a few dozen zlotys to a better brand is cheaper than own contribution in the liquidation of damage after an accident. Tyres from reputable manufacturers are not only a more well-known logo. They simply have all the technologies available in a given company to improve grip and durability and reduce fuel consumption.
Buying a new set of tyres is an expense, but at the same time an investment in safety. The U.S. Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that, on average, there are nearly 11,000 tyre-related car accidents on the roads each year, killing more than 600 people.[1]
– It is worth thinking carefully about buying new tyres, the more that not only our safety on the road depends on them, but also how much we spend on their operation. The differencein fuel consumption between the most efficient "A" class tyres and the least efficient "G" class tyres (according to fuel efficiency) can be approx. 0.5l/100 km. With the current, high fuel prices, the price difference on a set of tyres can pay off after driving several thousand kilometers – argues Piotr Sarnecki, General Director of the Polish Tyre Industry Association (PZPO).
Important markings
If you plan to buy a new set of tyres, it is worth considering a number of factors. It is good to follow the results of journalistic tests and compare the parameters of specific types of tyres. In addition to size, including load and speed indexes and label data, we should also pay attention to braking on dry roads and resistance to skidding and, steerability, driveability, and fuel consumption. For a growing group of drivers covering further routes, the volume of the tyre is also irrelevant. This parameter placed on the tyre label is responsible for acoustic comfort during several hundred kilometers of routes. Let us remind you that tyresand better by 3 dB in our reception will be almost twice as quiet.
Remember that tyre sizes are adapted to the requirements of car manufacturers and their parameters. It is at a certain size and sometimes on additional alternatives, our car has been homologated, i.e. allowed to move. The width of a tyre is measured between its sides and is given in millimetres, while the profile height is a percentage expressing the height of the side of the tyre in relation to its width. The designation "R" is a type – radial. In the selection, we are guided by the size of tyres and their load and speed indexes, which are specified in the user manual of our car – often also on the sticker on the central pillar. This tells us exactly which tyres to look for. A car that has homologation for a load index of 100 cannot have tyres with an index, e.g. 95 – because they will not withstand its weight and will fall apart while driving. The same applies to the speed index. If there is a V index in the manual, then we can not buy tyres with an H index – because they will not withstand operation.
There are also additional markings on the tyre, including the E.C.E symbol for European approval, and in the case of winter or all-season variants, the Alpine symbol (for winter approved tyres) and the DOT number, which codes the manufacturer, manufacturer and date of manufacture. The DOT number is used by tyre manufacturers only to identify the model, factory and production batch. The production date is part of this code. The introduction of the code was required by the Department of Transport in the USA (hence the abbreviation DOT – Department of Transportation) so that there would be a marking enabling identification of the tyre for complaint. Sogiving the production date any other meaning or importance is simply a mistake – because tyres do not age when they lie on the shelf only during operation. And most of all during operation withtoo little pressure.
– A bad decision when buying tyres means additional costs resulting from problems in use. This is especially true of low-quality products of exotic manufacturers who fight for the customer by price, not quality. At the same time, you should not be afraid to buy new products, manufactured even a few years ago, because the warranty applies from the date of purchase, not production. Properly stored tyres will have the same parameters as straight from the factory – convinces Sarnecki.
To prove that the tyres of warehousesin the warehouse for several years are not inferior to freshly produced ones, TÜV SÜD carried out comparative tests on the track. Tyres of the same manufacturer, model and size, and tread compound were checked. One set produced in 2018, the other 2020 on the same car. The test proved that tyres that are several years old brake just as well as those from the last batch. What's more, to raise the bar, the rally driver tested tyres from 2020 and 2017 also with the same composition from the same manufacturer. The result of these tests also showed that even a 3-year-old tyre retains its performance when it is professionally stored. And only such warehouses have tyre factories and wholesalers. Therefore, it is worth buying tyres from a certain, official sales channel – online or traditional. Tests are available at www.oponymajamoc.pl.
Used? No thanks
However, the worst decision is to buy used tyres. This choice is a lottery and playing with your own health. It is not known in what conditions the previous driver used them. Generally, we do not recommend them even to an unpopular neighbor – because we may one day find ourselves on the line of his impact after a rupture of such a tyre. Old tyres extend the braking distance and worsen the handling of the car – which in an extreme scenario can mean skidding and an accident. Such tyres may also have hidden defects that cannot be seen with the naked eye, because they can come from accident vehicles. Their internal carcass structure of the tyre's force-transmitting force can be damaged – which in practice means that it is not known when it may burst while driving. In addition, during their installation, it may turn out that they do not want to balance,which during the ride will manifest itself in the so-called "beating" and accelerated wear of suspension and steering components .
– Buying used tyres is an apparent savings, because no one will guarantee us the safety of their operation. Ordinary vulcanization workshops do not have specialized tools to thoroughly x-ray such a product for potential imperfections. On the other hand, a professional and certified plant would never put such a tyre on the rim, because then it takes responsibility for the health and safety of the customer and other road users. Even budget tyres will be the right choice, but new ones – says the general director of the Polish Tyre Industry Association.
The 3P principle
Buying the right tyres is one of the pillars of the 3P principle, i.e. Decent tyres, Professional service, Correct pressure. To this end, Polish the Tyre Industry Association has introduced a system for assessing vulcanization plants on the basis of an independent audit of their equipment and staff qualifications. Workshops that meet high standards have the PZPO Tyre Certificate, which in practice means that the replacement of rubbers or their repair is associated with a guarantee of high quality.
3P is also the right tyre pressure during its operation. Unfortunately, some drivers forget about it. As research confirms, as many as 58% of drivers check their tyre pressure too rarely. [2]If we do not check the pressure, the tyres will last us 3 times shorter! Too low tyre pressure causes up to a twofold increase in the mperation of the inner layers – and this is a simple way to tear the tyres while driving. Too little air means that the tread does not adhere properly to the surface, which in turn translates into a longer braking distance – a loss of 0.5 bar extends the braking distance by up to 4 meters. Insufficient pressure also means faster tread wear. In the case of under-inflation by the mentioned 0.5 bar, it is even by 1/3 and higher rolling resistance, which also translates into more noise by 3dB (in practice twice as loud). Lack of air in the tyre also means increased fuel consumption by 5%.[3]
– We should verify the tyre pressure at least once a month, even if we have pressure sensors. The key issue is to check it before going on the road, when the tyres are still cold. Then we have a reliable result. Let's also take care of pumping up the "stock" - who knows when we will have to use it - advises Piotr Sarnecki.
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The fact that a tyre is the only element of contact between the vehicle and the road surface makes this piece of vehicle equipment particularly important in the context of road safety. The contact of the tyre with the ground is the size of a small tablet. However, it is the quality of this contact that determines the braking distance and grip, and thus our safety. By choosing the right tyres, entrusting their assembly or repair to specialists and properly servicing them, we are more sure that our car will drive as we want and safely stop before the obstacle.
For more information on the importance of tyres, tips for purchasing, servicing and operating, please visit www.oponymajamoc.pl.
For more information, please visit pzpo.org.pl and certyfikatoponiarski.pl/
[1] https://www.nhtsa.gov/es/ tyres/safety-and-savings-ride-your- tyres
[2] Moto Date 2017 - Car Users Panel
[3] ADAC, Pro-winterreifen
Source: Polish Tyre Industry Association