Please forgive my indulgence on the topic of tyre testing, but the end result of a safe tyre is, the tyre is only safe IF the appropriate inflation pressure is used!

The physical road testing of a pneumatic tyre is the last part in a very long line of testing procedures used to manufacture the tyre. The actual manufacturing is not the end of the line as the tyre has to be competently mounted to a wheel and then appropriately inflated prior and during use.

If the tyre/wheel assembly is not balanced in mass and dimension, then the tyre is not going to perform as expected, nor will the tyre perform as expected if the inflation pressure is not appropriate to the load and speed the vehicle is going to be utilised at.

The humble pneumatic tyre is a composite assembly of many different materials, each having to work in harmony and unison with each other.

The different materials used to manufacture the tyre have already undergone substantial testing as individual products to assure the sought-after properties and qualities are exactly what is required to produce a tyre that is not only safe but performs as expected.

Many years ago, on a major construction project in Asia with one of my clients, the tyre company I was an engineer with suffered many catastrophic tread separation failures. This was a time critical project so having haul trucks out of service was a serious impediment to achieving the extensive earthworks required. A long story short, I was given to understand that there was a change in the supplier of the carbon black used in this particular tyre tread specification. The fresh manufacturer’s product checked all of the (then) testing parameters, but when it came to actual live service, there was a deficiency somewhere. I was never privy to the actual product details, just the end result of seeing haul trucks with fuel and hydraulic tanks on the ground having been slapped off by tread packages parting from the tyre casing. Having up to 1,000 kg of tread rubber flapping out of control is not conducive to a safe operation.

The testing regime for the product used was seemingly insufficient to identify this issue pre-production, ending up with very costly results.

One can read in various publications of tyre testing where a group of journalists and motoring writers take vehicles fitted with various tyre producers’ products around a circuit in an attempt to quantify the performance, in lap times, but more importantly, in feel.  ‘Through the seat of your pants’ is a commonly used phrase.  As a young two-wheel motorcycle racer, I progressed from using treaded road tyres to a full racing slick. The feeling was totally different and, to be honest, I didn’t ever get the slick tread tyres to operate as they were designed.  After progressing to three-wheel bikes (sidecars), slicks became the ideal product.

In todays’ tyre production world, I suggest that the development on MotoGP motorcycles leads the way. Think of a MotoGP bike where cornering lean angles of up to 65 degrees, yes 65 degrees, are common place, all the time transmitting a power to weight ratio of more than 1:1, which is more than one horsepower per kilogramme of weight (including the rider!).  When combined with the technology developed in the giant OTR tyres used in mining, the development of tyre performance is progressing rapidly. The ability of a giant mining tyre to support a load in excess of 100 tonnes per tyre (think 50 average passenger cars, yes that’s per tyre) whilst travelling at 60 km/hr is an everyday event for a mining operation. These tyres on a drive position transmit thousands of horsepower to motivate the truck. These numbers are far in excess compared to your daily drive!

A passenger car tyre benefits greatly from all of this research and development leading to the actual physical testing of the tyre in the hands of the journalists pushing a car around a circuit.

Yet, all this testing can be undone by the end user’s reluctance to verify that the tyre’s operating pressure is appropriate for the duty cycle being undertaken. The adoption of real time tyre pressure monitoring (TPMS) has generated an increase in safety IF the driver actually uses the data.

Race pilots (drivers and riders) carefully study the operating tyre pressure detail as they well understand that just ½ a psi may make the difference between winning or finishing off the podium.

Alas, our industry has not really educated the daily driver to the critical importance of ensuring their tyres have the appropriate inflation pressures installed. Inflation, it seems, is only important to economists and price rises.

All the material testing, quality control in production and physical mounting of the tyre can be undone by the ignorance of the end user in not attending to the inflation pressures adequately. No matter how deep the science used, the quality control measures employed within production our product’s success remains at the whim of the end user as to whether they can be bothered to ensure the very item that provides their safe passage is indeed fit for purpose.

Regardless of the impressive advances in testing technology, the serious quantitative leaps in the use of computer aided design and manufacture, the improvements in material science yielding growth in all the useful features for a tyre combined in production benefitting the end result can be undone by end user apathy. As an industry, we have a programme of continuous improvement, but does the end user have the same? Do they care?

For all the testing programmes we, as an industry, have in place, the one lacking I feel is the understanding of the level of knowledge from the perspective of the driver. Do they understand the information that the physical tyre testing provides? In the case of a motoring enthusiast, very much yes, but they make up a small percentage of the population.

The advent of the Euro 7 standards will draw the performance of tyres into the everyday realm for the legislators and regulators. Again, how the daily drivers that use their vehicles for commuting actually care is an unknown, and I feel that the care factor is probably less than zero.

In speaking with learner drivers, I ask whether the driving instructors had mentioned tyres at all and was totally unsurprised when the answer came back as a no. I know I have said before that unless we can engage drivers into understanding and appreciating their tyres’ contribution to their personal safety whilst driving, then our industries progress will be stymied.

All the progress in material science, advanced vehicle standards, wonderful testing regimes can all be negated when the vehicle driver ignores the very basic of the tyres operating requirement – the appropriate operating inflation pressure. 

How we change the mindset of the end user is still testing my knowledge and patience; it is more than tiring to keep on hearing that people don’t even acknowledge the benefits they enjoy from the use of the product our industry produces.

Please educate the end user on the critical importance their tyres have in overall on-road safety. Look after your tyres, so when you call upon them to look after you, they will be appropriately equipped to do so.

Stay TyreSafe

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Tana Oy has appointed Panu Ärölä as its new Territory Business Manager, a role he will assume on 2 November. In this capacity, he will focus on strengthening customer and distributor relationships across designated markets while contributing to the company’s ongoing expansion within the waste management and recycling sector.

Ärölä returns to Tana after previously serving as Sales Manager, where he developed expertise in distributor network growth. His background includes extensive international experience in sales, marketing, business development and strategic leadership. Most recently, he held the position of Head of Sales and Marketing at Jet-Tekno Oy, overseeing customer relationship development and business growth initiatives.

Gerd Schreier, VP – Sales, Marketing & Channel Development, said, “We are delighted to welcome Panu back to Tana. His industry knowledge, customer focus and experience in international sales make him a valuable addition to our team. We look forward to working with him as we continue to develop our business and create value for our customers and partners.”

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Stephan Sielaff took over as chief executive of the Schill+Seilacher Group on 1^st October , as the chemicals group seeks to strengthen links between its businesses and focus more closely on customer needs.

Sielaff brings about 30 years of experience in developing international businesses and organisations. His previous roles include positions at Unilever, Symrise, Archroma, Lenzing AG and SSI SCHÄFER Plastics.

His priorities at Schill+Seilacher include getting closer to customers, encouraging greater knowledge-sharing across the group and making better use of capabilities across its businesses and locations.

“A good product alone is no longer enough. What matters is the value we create for our customers,” says Stephan Sielaff.

The group said it would seek to share knowledge, pursue opportunities jointly and strengthen connections between its locations and business areas.

Sielaff's appointment is intended to support a more integrated approach across the group as it develops its businesses in the years ahead.

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Toyo Tire Corporation of Japan (Toyo Tire) has announced executive appointments at Toyo Tire Holdings of Americas Inc. (TTHA) and Nitto Tire U.S.A. Inc. (NTU), effective 1 October 2026. Keiko Brockel has become President and Chief Executive Officer at TTHA, while Angelo Naval has beeen promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer at NTU.

Brockel, the first woman and first American to hold the TTHA role, will oversee daily North American business operations. She joined NTU in 2008 and previously served as its President and Chief Executive Officer and President and Chief Operations Officer. Over 18 years at NTU, she has held various executive leadership positions, providing strategic oversight in sales, finance, supply chain and operations, contributing significantly to the company's growth and evolution.

Angelo Naval

Naval, formerly Vice President of Sales and Business Strategy at NTU, will now oversee its business operations. He joined NTU in 2000 and also served as Vice President of Product and Business Strategy. During his 24 years with the company, he has been instrumental in shaping the business, gaining deep understanding and a unique perspective on the Nitto brand, its customers and the markets it serves.

Takashi Shimizu, President & CEO, Toyo Tire Corporation, said, “On behalf of Toyo Tire, I would like to congratulate both Keiko Brockel and Angelo Naval on their well-earned new appointments and thank them for their invaluable contributions to the growth and success of Nitto Tire in the American market.”

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ContiTech, the group sector of Continental, has named Amanda Lacerda as its new Head of Communications, with effect from 15 September 2026. In this capacity, she will report directly to Diana Hoppe, who serves as Head of Human Relations and Communications at ContiTech. The appointment places Lacerda at the helm of the organisation’s global communications operations.

In her new position, Lacerda will act as a strategic partner focused on advancing business performance, transformation and brand value. Her responsibilities encompass corporate, executive and brand communications, alongside media and public relations, public affairs, employee communications and reputation management. She is tasked with maintaining a consistent narrative that bolsters ContiTech’s global reputation and aligns with its business priorities and strategic ambitions. Lacerda takes over from Claudia Lademann-Fleger, who has chosen to depart the company for external opportunities.

Lacerda arrives with over two decades of experience in communications, marketing, and public affairs. Her global leadership background includes roles across Brazil, Middle East, Sweden and Germany. Over her career, she has engaged with diverse international markets and industries, assisting organisations in strengthening their brands, managing change and cultivating meaningful relationships with key stakeholders.

Diana Hoppe, Head of Human Relations and Communications, ContiTech, said, “Effective communication plays a key role as ContiTech continues its transformation and prepares for its future as a standalone company. Amanda brings extensive international experience, strategic insight and domain expertise in communications that will help strengthen our brand, enhance our reputation and deepen engagement with employees, customers, partners and communities around the world. As we continue to build a strong and distinctive brand, her leadership will be instrumental in advancing our strategic ambitions and long-term success. I also want to thank Claudia for her many years of dedicated leadership and service to ContiTech, and I wish her every success in the future.”

Lacerda said, “I am excited to join ContiTech at such an important moment in its journey. ContiTech has a strong heritage, talented people and a clear vision for the future. I look forward to working with colleagues around the world to tell our story, support the company’s transformation and help create value through clear, authentic and engaging communications.”

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