The end-of-year frenzy has arrived, accompanied by busier and fuller roads as the holiday season looms. With that in mind, driving cautiously and proactively should be top of mind for road users. This is where defensive driving comes to the fore.

“With more vehicles on the road this summer, drivers need to be even more alert,” says Chris Lett, Australian tyre dealer, and owner of Branigans Tyres. Lett discusses how important it is to be a defensive driver and keep yourself and others safe on the road.

Defensive driving is defined as the practice of maintaining full awareness of the road and weather, other vehicles and road-users, as well as taking steps to prevent potentially hazardous or dangerous situations and to prevent being involved in a car crash.

“Defensive driving starts with being prepared,” says Lett. “There are many things drivers can do to ensure they are well-prepared. This includes, understanding how their vehicle performs; their own driving abilities; road and weather conditions; and their knowledge of the road rules,” adds Lett.

Vehicle performance: A defensive driver is aware of their vehicle’s limitations and capabilities. A defensive driver ensures that their vehicle is well-maintained and road worthy. This includes checking that the brakes, engine and tyres are in optimal condition and that the vehicle is not overloaded and can effectively respond to a potential road threat.

Driver’s abilities: Drivers should drive according to their abilities. Stay focused and alert and ensure you are not tired.  Driving is primarily a thinking task, and you have a lot of things to think about when you’re behind the wheel. Don’t multi-task and get distracted. Being alert allows you to react quickly to potential problems — like when the driver in the car ahead slams on the brakes at the last minute.  Being tired or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol affects reaction times and judgement, so rest up before a long trip and take regular breaks during your journey.

Road and weather conditions: Be aware of the road and weather conditions and drive to those conditions. Understand how to drive on different surfaces, for example, unsealed roads, sandy or dusty roads. Know how to drive in the wind, rain, snow or in the glaring sun or when there is poor visibility. Use your lights appropriately and as soon as dusk descends make sure your headlights are on. Listen to or read the weather report before you set out on your journey and check for road hazards, closures or heavy traffic; you may have to re-plan your route.  Do not take chances in risky situations on the roads, it can cost you your safety, and ultimately your life.

Knowledge of the road rules: Defensive driving is predominantly based on understanding the rules of the road. Be aware of road markings, rights of way, road signs and load restrictions. Ensure you understand how to proceed at intersections, roundabouts and T junctions or where there are road works. Keep to the speed limits and pay attention to what other drivers are doing.

“Defensive driving is essentially the art of safe driving, and should be practiced everyday,” says Lett. “So enjoy the holiday season, keep safe and drive into the new year with heightened on-road awareness,” he adds.

At Branigans Tyres, Chris Lett and his team ‘go green’ and are experts in the recycled tyre business. Branigans Tyres has well-established workshops in Burleigh Heads and Southport in the Gold Coast region. Check out their full range of services or current featured promotions. Branigans award-winning affordable tyre subscriptions package start at $7.97 and help motorists budget for their ongoing tyre needs.

Vehicle owners are encouraged to drive in at their convenience as pre-bookings or appointments are not required. Branches are situated at 13 Flagstone Drive, Burleigh Heads, contact number (07) 5535 2660 or 1/277 Southport-Nerang Rd, Southport contact number, (07) 5591 8633.

Written and Syndicated by: YDMA News

Vehicle brakes provide a great deal of control and security for all vehicle owners. They perform the extraordinary role of keeping you safe and possibly saving your life on the road. It’s time they deserved the respect and break they need!

From emergency stops, to sharp turns, brakes are at the forefront of life-threatening preventions and uncertainties that accompany the on-road experience. “Vehicle owners should understand how their brakes work and how they can be maintained and even improved,” says Chris Lett, Australian tyre recycler and owner of Branigans Tyres. He discusses major ways in which vehicle owners can improve their brake’s performance.

Fitting new brake pads: Brake performance and overall safety can be improved by fitting new brake pads,” says Lett. “This should be done at least once a year or more often if covering more than the average kilometres a year,” he adds.

Upgrading the brake kit: Large brake kits are both the fastest and best ways to improve the braking performance. “The heat takes slightly longer to accumulate on larger disc surfaces, at the same time helping them cool down much faster,” says Lett. “Through cross-drilled and well-ventilated discs, the cooling down process is more effective,” adds Lett.

Keeping the brakes cool: Should new brake pads overheat, this can alter the underlying structure of the brake pad material. “Until brakes are fully bedded down, vehicle owners should prevent heavy braking that could lead to potential overheating. This can include any circumstances, from towing heavy loads, to stopping immediately after high speeds,” says Lett.

Braking properly and often: More braking is better than less, and braking gently is better than heavy braking overall. “For the first 300km, each time the brake pads establish contact with the discs, it increases the contact area surface between the two parts, allowing better braking in the future. Therefore, braking more often and lightly is recommended for the first 300km, after the new pads have been fitted,” says Lett. “Driving slower provides vehicle owners with an opportunity to brake lightly. Braking faster and harder wears out the brakes more quickly. Another precautionary measure is to keep an ideal distance between vehicles, which will also provide you with quicker reaction time, and prevent the unnecessary slamming of the brakes,” adds Lett.

Maintaining the condition of the brakes: A routine maintenance check up should be done every year. At Branigans Tyres, experts will check the condition of the brake pads, the disc and the brake fluid and give you peace of mind.

At Branigans Tyres, Chris Lett and his team ‘go green’ and are experts in the recycled tyre business. Branigans Tyres has well-established workshops in Burleigh Heads and Southport in the Gold Coast region. Check out their full range of services or current featured promotions. Branigans award-winning affordable tyre subscriptions package start at $7.97 and help motorists budget for their ongoing tyre needs.

Vehicle owners are encouraged to drive in at their convenience as no pre-bookings or appointments are required. Branches are situated at 13 Flagstone Drive, Burleigh Heads, contact number (07) 5535 2660 or 1/277 Southport-Nerang Rd, Southport contact number, (07) 5591 8633.

Written and Syndicated by: YDMA News

Torque is basically the unit of measurement for the twisting force that’s applied to a wheel nut. Wheel nuts are torqued for each wheel by mechanics to ensure that they meet the vehicle manufacturer’s standards when fitting the wheel for the first time. However, a second check-up is also necessary.

Chris Lett, Australian tyre recycler and owner of Branigans Tyres gives vehicle owners a lesson on retourquing wheel nuts.

When new, or substituted wheels are fitted for the first time, the individual responsible must torque all wheel nuts according to the vehicle manufacturers’ specifications as seen in the vehicle owner’s handbook and vehicle documentation. “After 50 kilometres of driving on the new tyres, wheel nuts must be checked once again, and if needed, be retourqued to restore initial value,” says Lett.

Each vehicle make will be subjected to different amounts of torque to tighten up the wheel nuts, as well as to avoid causing any damage in the process.

“In terms of the correct order for wheel nut torquing, loosening or tightening wheel nuts properly, requires a particular tool known as a tool wrench,” says Lett. “The vehicle owner, or mechanic will start by setting the torque wrench to half of the expected torque, tightening each nut according to that setting,” Lett adds.

The setting is then adjusted on the wrench to tighten all the wheel nuts to the correct torque. Wheel nuts are tightened in a particular sequence to allow thorough torque. The proper order for any wheel with five or ten nuts is a star-shaped pattern. A wheel with four wheel nuts, on the other hand, is tightened in the shape of a cross.

Should wheel nuts be placed too tightly, they can cause intense issues such as wheel stud stretching, as well as fastener threads being stripped. Brake drums can also become warped, along with the wheel hubs. If wheel nuts are placed loosely, they can lead to wheels potentially coming off while driving. Therefore, it is important to find the right balance when torquing the wheel nuts.

Dirt, sand and rust between the threads of a nut can create false torques during the first fitting, where the force applied, outdoes the friction, but does not result in a clamping force. It is important to take note of this and keep a close eye on all wheel nuts to ensure they’re well maintained and solidly torqued.

Wheel nuts sustain strains and stresses during daily road use, so regular wheel nut retourquing should be conducted to ensure the strength, quality and safety standards are reaffirmed. Wheel nut retourquing is a priority that must be attended to every year.

At Branigans Tyres, Chris Lett and his team ‘go green’ and are experts in the recycled tyre business. Branigans Tyres has well-established workshops in Burleigh Heads and Southport in the Gold Coast region. Checkout their full range of services or current featured promotions. Branigans award-winning affordable tyre subscriptions package start at $7.97 and help motorists budget for their ongoing tyre needs.

Vehicle owners are encouraged to drive in at their convenience as no pre-bookings or appointments are required. Branches are situated at 13 Flagstone Drive, Burleigh Heads, contact number (07) 5535 2660 or 1/277 Southport-Nerang Rd, Southport contact number, (07) 5591 8633.

Written and Syndicated by: YDMA News

Chris Lett, owner of Branigans Tyres, and trusted Australian automotive specialist, highlights the important advantages of biodiesel (biofuel) and how it benefits both vehicles and the environment. Manufactured from vegetable oils, recycled restaurant grease and animal fats, biodiesel is becoming an important alternative option for vehicles. Biodiesel meets both the biomass-based diesel and overall advanced biofuel requirement of the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Rudolf Diesel, an esteemed German engineer and inventor, found major success in 1893, with the diesel engine. “Diesel stood as a firm believer in alternative fuels, with the inventor’s first automobile engine designed to run on peanut oil or a mixture of vegetable oil and diesel (crude petroleum),” says Lett. “Many vehicle-owners are not fully aware or informed thoroughly on the importance of biodiesels, thus it is crucial to understand now, especially as the world moves to becoming more environmentally conscious,” Lett adds.

There are two main identifiable types of biodiesel used in vehicles: Biodiesel and Bioethanol. Biodiesel, as mentioned, is created using vegetable materials and animal fats, whereas bioethanol is alcohol-based, created from sugarcane and corn. Both types of biodiesel provide alternatives to non-renewable crude-oil derived fuels such as petrol and diesel.

“Biodiesel is seen to be a great medium-term solution to traditional fuels. Specifically, Bioethanol is categorised as carbon neutral, with any release of carbon dioxide during production removed from the atmosphere by the crops themselves,” says Lett. “In addition, biodiesel recycles unusable waste products such as cooking oil,” Lett adds.

Biodiesel products produce remarkably fewer pollutant toxins and emissions that fossil fuels do. Australia’s energy transformation specialists, Bioenergy Australia, estimate that biodiesel potentially could cut emissions by over 85% as opposed to diesel, while bioethanol could reduce emissions to around 50%.

In terms of vehicle benefits, biodiesels are primarily advantageous due to their environmentally-friendly qualities. Less carbon emissions with a high percentage of biodiesel in blended fuels act as another major benefit as well. Some diesel vehicle owners might consider using a biodiesel product such as cooking oil as an alternative solution. However, this could cause significant damage to many cars if owners do not understand their vehicle. “Motorists interested in utilising biodiesels must do research into the compatibility of their vehicle with certain biodiesels, and contact the manufacturer to avoid serious types of damage,” says Lett.

When it pertains to sustainability, reduction in greenhouse gasses, economic positivity and top-quality engine performance, biodiesels are the way to go. Their innovation and contribution provide a whole new frontier in the preservation of current resources and the creation of planet-friendly resources that could lend a helping hand to the automotive industry.

At Branigans Tyres, Chris Lett and his team ‘go green’ and are experts in the recycled tyre business. Branigans Tyres has well-established workshops in Burleigh Heads and Southport in the Gold Coast region. Check out their full range of services or current featured promotions. Branigans award-winning affordable tyre subscriptions package start at $7.97 and help motorists budget for their ongoing tyre needs.

Vehicle owners are encouraged to drive in at their convenience as no pre-bookings or appointments are required. Branches are situated at 13 Flagstone Drive, Burleigh Heads, contact number (07) 5535 2660 or 1/277 Southport-Nerang Rd, Southport contact number, (07) 5591 8633.

Written and Syndicated by: YDMA News

It is true that fuel-efficient driving can save one a great deal of money. Preventing wear and tear on one’s vehicle, improving road safety and, ultimately, curbing carbon dioxide emissions through lowering a vehicle’s fuel consumption, all support greater fuel efficiency.

Chris Lett, Australian tyre recycler and owner of Branigans Tyres, provides some great fuel-saving tips to equip drivers to reduce fuel consumption, and increase economical awareness.

“Planning ahead helps; listen to traffic reports and avoid accidents, and other trouble spots. Mapping out one’s road journey before starting out is wise,” says Lett. “It is also important that road-users adopt the following fuel-efficient techniques and tips,” Lett adds.

Maintain a steady speed: When one’s speed begins to dip and burst inconsistently, more fuel is consumed. As a result, drivers end up filling their cars more often, which becomes costly. Where it is permitted, consider using cruise control for highway driving. Note, however, that the small variations in speed can be good when gravity assists. Also, if possible, decrease the speed when travelling uphill, as the motor will regain momentum as it rolls downhill. Fluctuating one’s speed between 75 and 85 km per hour every 18 seconds can increase fuel consumption by 20%, therefore, consistent speed regularly practiced on the roads will reduce this.

Avoid high-speeds: “Don’t crawl, and also, don’t rush,” says Lett. “Essentially, obey the speed limits and fuel-saving is one step closer,” Lett adds. Excessive speeding uses more fuel, as well as driving slowly using the highest gear. Maintaining a balance can be achieved if one adheres to the speed limit and uses the appropriate gear.

Monitor air-conditioner usage: A startling fact is that using the air-conditioner can increase one’s fuel consumption by 20%. When driving in the city, open the windows. If one does use the air-conditioner, utilise the re-circulate option to minimise the usage.

Accelerate gently: Take about five seconds to accelerate the vehicle up to 20km per hour from a stop. This will assist in fuel-efficiency. Never accelerate hard as that will lead to incurring unwanted costs for fuel.

Track fuel consumption: Evaluate how long one’s vehicle can go without filling the tank, be it a few weeks, maybe a month. Commit to the challenge of refilling only when the tank is close to empty as this may assist in reducing weekly or monthly fuel costs.

Avoid unnecessary idling: Turn off the engine, if the vehicle has stopped for more than a minute, unless one is in traffic,” says Lett.

“Following these steps will show results on both fuel consumption and the pocket,” says Lett. “Vehicle owners should be savvy in terms of fuel management,” adds Lett.

At Branigans Tyres, Chris Lett and his team ‘go green’ and are experts in the recycled tyre business. Branigans Tyres has well-established workshops in Burleigh Heads and Southport in the Gold Coast region. Check out their full range of services or current featured promotions. Branigans award-winning affordable tyre subscriptions package start at $7.97 and help motorists budget for their ongoing tyre needs.

Vehicle owners are encouraged to drive in at their convenience as no pre-bookings or appointments are required. Branches are situated at 13 Flagstone Drive, Burleigh Heads, contact number (07) 5535 2660 or 1/277 Southport-Nerang Rd, Southport contact number, (07) 5591 8633.

Written and Syndicated by: YDMA News