As I speak with industry members, regulators and legislators I continue to be stunned by the lack of appreciation of the very critical role that tyres play in our societies.

Governments bleat about fuel security “investing” precious currency to prop up petroleum fuel storage and production in the face of the ever-expanding development of electric vehicles and more recently the advent of hydrogen as a viable fuel with thanks to the PV (solar) industry advancements. Tyres? What do you mean tyres? Without tyres our societies would grind to a halt in the near term. How are they not a strategic consideration?

Our industries (tyre, road freight transport, mining, public transport and leisure) are facing sufficient difficulties with COVID as well as international shipping challenges to be faced with continued ignorance and negligence by our legislators and regulators.

Please review your countries legislative requirements in regards tyre inflation for light vehicles (say <4,500 kgs) and then the same requirement for heavy vehicles (>4,500 kgs). What do you find?

Mostly I think you will find that tyre inflation pressures are regulated for light vehicles via the vehicle manufacturers tyre placard. For heavy vehicles there is little, if any, such requirement. To illustrate the yawning gap between reality and regulation one peak heavy transport regulatory body published a procedure for roller brake testing for heavy vehicles. The procedure details in minute detail the requirements of the pneumatic system on the truck under test yet merely stated “tyres should be inflated.” As everyone in the tyre industry understands a tyre can be inflated at low pressures totally unrelated to actual operating pressures. What connects the brakes to the pavement? Tyres!

I’ve spoken at length about the absolute requirement for a tyre to be appropriately inflated. This is basic physics, the air molecules captured within the tyre’s air chamber actually support the applied loads. If there are insufficient molecules of air the tyre will be overworked so overheat and so enter a failure phase. There are other requirements for the inflation being the actual shaping of the tyre to interface with the pavement at the optimum level, read traction. A wide based tyre requires special construction to maintain the tread platform shape. If the inflation pressure is not at the manufacturer’s specified level will this critical shape be maintained? Then it is not only the performance of the tyre in question but also the safety of the vehicle and that of the general public in the areas this vehicle operates in.

The extensive report produced by the TNO Organisation (TNO 2013 R10986) detailed not only the exhaust emissions as a result of inappropriately inflated tyres but also the road safety outcomes. This paper is now just over eight years old but the situation with real time pressure monitoring for heavy vehicles remains as it was, 50 years or more ago. WHY? Are our regulators asleep at the wheel (or tyre some may say) through entrenched inaction and ignorance? Or is it that there are just “no votes” in tyres and everyone just ASSuMes their tyres are “ok”?

EV tyres

With the advent of electric vehicles, the ramifications for tyres are huge. In the past internal combustion engines (ICE) built up torque over a rev range, drivelines multiplied the torque developed and for heavy vehicles there is a sweet spot for torque. The multi speed gearboxes assisted the driver to maintain forward motion within this torque sweet spot. Electric motors apply maximum torque over most of their operating range. From the instant the power is applied by the driver (be that human or robotic) the tyres are under peak stress. Any deficiency within the tyre will be magnified with detrimental results. Such a deficiency may be of a manufacturing nature but this is largely controllable by the manufacturer. What is not currently controllable is the human maintenance factor, the applied inflation pressure.

Tyre manufacturers have for as long as they have been manufacturing tyres been informative about the criticality of appropriate tyre inflation. There are untold charts and pictorials showing how a tyre is influenced by under or over inflation yet our regulators and legislators continue to keep their heads buried deep out of the light. WHY when tyres are such a critical component of our modern-day motor vehicle? I would charge ignorance and negligence on one hand but then on the other suggest that because tyres work as well as they do, are as forgiving (by nature of their fundamental flexible design) our “guiding powers” can focus on other trendy and glamorous aspects such as stability control or autonomous braking. An important question for these people to consider and respond to; “what item on the vehicle transfers the power (and so directly influence these vehicle control systems) from the vehicle to the pavement (be that power tractive or retardation)? Yes of course, the humble tyre.

So, when a government sponsored or publicly funded body involved in road safety ignores tyres (for whatever reason, ignorance or negligence) are they really serving the interests of our communities and societies or are they just -- I should stop there but you know where I’m going!

The technology to monitor tyre pressures in real time is and has now been available for decades. The TREAD Act (USA) mandated tyre pressure monitoring (TPMS) for light vehicles in the USA in the year 2000. This year TPMS gets a key for its birthday, yes well and truly a mature product (some may say adult) and industry yet, our regulators and legislators continue to ignore the humble tyre.

The upsides of maintaining tyres at an appropriate pressure I’ve discussed previously, all positive. The same detail has been published in many papers (such as the TNO paper!) but we as an industry continue to live in the past whilst adopting hi-tech solutions for other aspects of our industries, e.g., GPS tracking, fatigue monitoring, reefer monitoring and control, real time video surveillance of the drivers and the surrounding traffic conditions. Why? To me there is little respect paid to the critical role the tyre provides for us. So many users do not consider how the tyre works for them and why the simplest of tasks will enhance the performance, yes, I speak of inflation maintenance. Without respect the tyre will never be recognised for the contribution it has made and continues to make.

I publicly and openly challenge our tyre manufacturers as a collective to mount an education campaign to enhance the level of respect the general public has about tyres. The TIA (US) and USTMA have local campaigns on behalf of their members but I consider that until the tyre manufacturers as a collective industry actual improve the level of respect for the humble tyre we will be chasing our tails on a race to the bottom. Our tyres deserve better!

What about Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear, Continental, BKT, Dunlop, ZC Rubber, Hankook, Pirelli, Toyo, Sumitomo, Yokohama, Kumho, MRF, Apollo, Nokian, JKTyres, Cooper, Titan, Linglong, Triangle et al?

Remember success does not reward a lack of action. (TT)

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Hankook Tire has announced that its Winter i*cept evo 4 tyre secured first place in the latest Auto Bild winter tyre test. Competing in the 225/55 R18 size for SUVs and crossovers, it achieved an overall rating of 1.3, described as very good, beating nine rival models. The evaluation was carried out using a BMW X1.

The tyre stood out in wet conditions, earning a 1.2 rating after leading the field in both straight-line and cornering aquaplaning. It also recorded the highest average speed in dry handling while maintaining strong safety margins. Auto Bild further commended its dependable snow performance. Three tyres in total received very good ratings.

The Winter i*cept evo 4 is a studless tyre designed for passenger cars and SUVs, offering enhanced winter safety and fuel efficiency. It replaces the previous generation with a 5 percent improvement in snow grip, achieved through wider lateral grooves and semi-sipe technology.

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TBC Corporation, one of North America’s largest marketers of automotive replacement tyres through wholesale and franchise operations, joined forces with United Way Worldwide and the American Cancer Society's Road To Recovery for its yearly Week of Action.

Running from 21–25 September, the initiative mobilised staff at the company's Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. headquarters along with workers at about 100 distribution centres nationwide. The annual event, first introduced in 2024, invites TBC's roughly 3,000 employees to give back through volunteer work in their own communities. More than 2,000 volunteer hours have been logged since the programme began.

Across US sites, workers put together hygiene kits stocked with toothpaste, tissues, shampoo, conditioner, combs and deodorant, which were given to local United Way branches assisting people and families facing hardship. Additionally, employees wrote personalised messages for those served by the American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery programme, which supplies free transportation to cancer-related medical visits. Thanks to TBC's involvement, 500 free rides became available for patients in that programme.

Looking ahead to October, the company's San Luis Potosi location in México will team up with Fondo Potosino and Colonia Juvenil, two organisations that deliver resources and create opportunities through programming, civic engagement and social support. TBC staff will take part in mentorship and team-building exercises alongside programme participants, aiming to build confidence and pave the way for future achievement.

Ron Harper, Chief Supply Chain Officer, TBC Corporation, said, “Giving back to the planet and making an impact in the communities in which we live and work is a core part of our vision. Our Week of Action reflects our commitment to doing right by our communities in meaningful and tangible ways.”

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Dunlop-equipped riders filled the rosters of the two strongest teams at this season's Motocross of Nations (MXoN), where Liam Everts, riding for Nestaan Husqvarna, played a pivotal role in ending Belgium's lengthy wait for the Chamberlain Trophy. Jorge Prado and Guillem Farres likewise turned in impressive rides on Dunlop rubber, propelling Spain to a narrow runner-up result at the prestigious gathering.

Only three points separated the leading teams when racing concluded, and Everts proved instrumental in Belgium's triumph. Having placed second in Saturday's Open-class qualifying, the Belgian followed up with a pair of fourth-place moto finishes on Sunday. Spain mounted a determined challenge across the weekend, briefly holding the top spot after the first moto before finishing three points adrift of Belgium.

Prado, a two-time MXGP champion, claimed second in both of his outings, enough to head the MXGP standings, while Farres contributed a fourth and a fifth to Spain's total. France also delivered Dunlop success, with Kawasaki's full-time pairing of Romain Febvre and Mathis Valin racing before a home crowd. While his teammates struggled, Febvre produced one of the day's standout individual displays, winning the opening moto and then taking third in the finale, where he also grabbed the Holeshot.

Those results placed Febvre second in the MXGP class behind Prado, while Farres and Camden McLellan of South Africa topped the MX2 standings. Everts ended second in the Open category, with fellow Dunlop rider Pauls Jonass of Latvia third. Dunlop riders claimed three of six race wins across qualifying and the main motos, and five of the nine Sunday podium finishers used the brand.

In total, 32 competitors from 16 nations depended on Dunlop's Geomax MX34 front and Geomax MX14 rear tyres, engineered respectively for soft-to-mid terrain and loose-surface traction. The weekend rounds off another standout season for Dunlop. Farres captured the MX2 world title and led Triumph Racing to a one-two with McLellan, while Febvre was MXGP runner-up after winning the crown on Dunlop the previous year. In America, Ken Roczen rode Dunlop to a first 450cc AMA Supercross championship, continuing Dunlop's unbroken run of AMA Supercross and Pro Motocross titles since 2010.

Wim Van Achter, Motorcycle Motorsport Manager EMEA, Dunlop Motorcycle Europe, said, “It has been a fantastic weekend of racing at the Motocross of Nations, and we congratulate Dunlop rider Liam Everts on the victory with Team Belgium. Team Spain fought hard all weekend, with Jorge and Guillem helping the team fight right to the end for the victory. We’re pleased that so many top riders continue to choose Dunlop Geomax tyres, and the results across the field weekend underline the performance of our Geomax MX34 and MX14 products.”

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Liberty Tire Recycling partnered with Henry County staff and volunteers for a three-day Tire Amnesty Event at the County Barn last week, during which thousands of scrap tyres were collected from residents seeking free and responsible disposal. The recurring programme, offered every three years, drew a steady stream of vehicles ranging from cars and trucks to trailers and farm equipment, generating sizable piles of tyres and underscoring both strong community participation and the persistent need for proper recycling.

County personnel, including Jason Stanley, Jeremy Raisor, James Nutgrass, Darrell Abbott, Zach Smith and Travis Buchanan, worked continuously to unload and organise tyres as residents arrived. Among those taking part was New Castle resident Charles Miller, who delivered over 100 tyres, many from demolition derby vehicles, and also brought tyres on behalf of several family members so that materials from multiple properties could be recycled.

Photo by The Henry County Local

Stanley reported that turnout substantially exceeded the previous amnesty event held three years ago, with residents arriving consistently throughout the collection period. Such events offer a convenient way to remove scrap tyres that might otherwise accumulate on properties, create safety hazards and serve as breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other pests, thereby reducing environmental risks and advancing sustainable waste management.

Officials applaud the Kentucky Division of Waste Management and its local partners for organising these programmes, noting that states collecting mandatory tyre disposal or recycling fees can reinvest them in amnesty days that channel waste tyres into the recycling stream and deter illegal dumping. While the final tally remains pending, county officials anticipate the total will rank among the most successful amnesty events in recent years.

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