In a bid to make summer a safer season, Dubai Police in association with Al Futtaim launched a tire safety awareness campaign yesterday with free tire checks. New rules for safer tire sales are also due by September this year.
Outside temperature check in my car read 49 degrees today. Justin Bieber scowled at his “beliebers” from the warped CD cover I had left behind in the cabin. The parking card to my neighbourhood parking lot seemed unlikely to work its magic anymore. Chances are, this heat wouldn’t spare my car tires too from undergoing some sort of transformation that I happen to be blissfully unaware of at the moment.
An accident is more serious than a dent in the CD cover. So, Al Futtaim Auto Centres and Fast Fit along with Dubai Police have initiated the campaign “Summer without accidents”. Announcing the campaign, Major General Mohammed Saif Al-Zafeen, Director of General Traffic Department at Dubai Police urged drivers to check and maintain their tyres every 1000 – 2000 km, to ensure they are in proper running condition.
FastFit have begun tyre safety checks on the Hatta-Oman border and Hassa Emarat station on the border of Abu Dhabi-Saudi Arabia. Mercato shopping mall on July 13th, 14th and 15th and later at other strategically located shopping malls. Other stopovers: FastFit Centre, Al Quoz(behind Toyota, SZR), from July 20th to August 20th.
Kevin Jones, Managing Director of Al-Futtaim Auto Centers and Fast Fit said: “As you drive, this six-inches of rubber is your only contact with the road. People should know how to best look after their tyres.” Under-inflated or worn out tyres could pass off harmless and unnoticed till it gets into the hazardous combination of high speed or overweight driving. “Properly looked after tyres can not ony save lives, but money too. Under-inflated tyres create more friction and burn more fuel!” Kevin Jones continued.
Even as the summer heat is rising, accident rates have been falling compared with earlier years. This summer tire check should help us maintain it that way!
Where and when?
Apart from free tire checks at Emarat Gas Stations at the far end of Sheikh Zayed Road as well as the Hatta Border, there will be a Tyre safety exhibition at Mirdiff City Centre with expert talks on maintenance of tires. The campaign will run from July 1st to August 20th at the peak of summer.
New tyre safety regulations in September
Aimed at the retail to protect consumers who buy tyres, a set of regulations will come into force from September onwards, laying out clauses for storage and usage of tyres in the UAE, as determined by the Emarati Standards and Metrology Department.
Besides focusing on the age of tire, tread and pressure, these regulations will highlight the importance of the right road rating as well as the right temperature rating. These rules will be later reinforced during the annual inspection of tyres.
