speed and car accidents – YDMA

The Importance of the Right Tyre Pressure

Developer Administrator — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 21:00:39 +0000

Checking a car’s tyre pressure regularly is important. With a busy lifestyle it’s so easy to overlook. But considering the major impact incorrect tyre pressure has on your car’s performance, its safety, and how long it will be fit for use on the road, it’s certainly worth getting into the habit of checking pressure levels regularly. According to tyre experts like iconic Australian tyre recycler Chris Lett of Branigans Tyres in Queensland, doing so monthly (at the very least) could save lives and make sure you don’t have to replace tyres too soon.

Why Tyre Pressure is So Important

Many may believe the tyres are what supports the weight of the car and its load, but it’s really the air inside them that does the heavy lifting. With the correct tyre pressure, the weight of the car is spread evenly over the tyre’s tread, stabilising both the tyres and the car by providing the optimal amount of contact with the road for the best grip. When tyres are either over-inflated or under-inflated, that stability is negatively affected, and the car becomes harder to handle, Lett said.

Determining if tyres are at the right pressure can’t be done with a quick glance as you climb into the car, or by kicking the tyre to see if it’s “flat”. That requires a proper test at home using a pressure gauge, or by stopping at the local service station for a check.

However, there are some warning signs that it’s time for those tests. These include the car’s performance seeming sluggish, the ride being not as smooth and comfortable as usual, and the occasional bump as the car battles to deal with stones, potholes and roughness on the road it would normally deal with easily, Lett said.

And that’s just the beginning, according to Lett. Incorrect inflation can lead to far worse situations. These start when it affects the ability to keep control while braking, stopping, or going round corners. This can lead to accidents and collisions, and bad ones at that. Tyre defects and failures, including incorrect tyre pressure, are listed among the top factors playing a part in fatal collisions.

Consequences of Incorrect Tyre Pressure

Tyres change shape when either under-inflated or over-inflated. If there’s too much air inside the tyre (overinflated), the normally flat tread area, distorted by the pressure, can become curved with a bulge in the centre part of the tread. Road contact is reduced to one narrow strip of tyre surface. This increases the strain on the tyre, causes more difficulty with handling, provides a bumpier ride, and leads to uneven tread wear, which could lead to blowouts, and will definitely shorten the tyre’s lifespan.

When tyres are under-inflated, the opposite happens. Instead of bulging out, the tyre tends to collapse inwards because of too little air, Lett said. The tyre loses its round shape and firmness and the contact area with the road expands and flattens, increasing the rolling resistance and so making it harder for the engine to turn the wheel. The resulting increase in energy usage can increase fuel consumption by about 1.5% when the tyres are as little as 0.3bar under the level listed on the sticker inside the car door. There will also be tyre damage, particularly on the edges, and braking performance will be affected.

Whether they are over-inflated or under-inflated, tyres are not going to last as long as they should. And, according to Lett, the shortfall could be as much as 7500km.

What affects your tyre pressure?

A number of things affect tyre pressure, the most obvious being if the pressure is not checked for a lengthy period, says Chris Lett. During that time, the pressure may decrease by as much as 1 or 2psi per month.

Air temperature both inside and outside the tyres also plays a big part, with the pressure rising with heat and lessening along with temperature drops. Ambient (outside) air temperature can cause the pressure to rise or fall by 1psi for every 5 degree temperature change, while tyre heat generated by friction can cause the tyre pressure to rise, especially when speeding.

For Lett, owner of Branigans Tyres in Queensland for more than 15 years, has spent these years helping motorists with high quality, low mileage secondhand tyres at budget prices so he’ll be there for you if your tyres lives are shortened by tyre pressure problems.

For further information, visit or call Chris and his team for Second Hand Tyres Gold Coast |Branigans Budget Tyres Service Centre at either Burleigh Heads (07) 5535 2660 or Southport (07) 5591 8633.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.

Speeding on Roads Can Cost Lives, Tyres, and Money

Developer Administrator — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 21:05:46 +0000

Most drivers hitting the road at high speeds do so for the adrenaline boost and the excitement of a long drive according to psychologists, and most don’t believe that something like a fatal crash could be waiting just around the bend. According to iconic tyre expert and recycler, Chris Lett of Branigans Tyres on Australia’s Gold Coast, they also appear to be totally unaware that not only is speeding dangerous for them, and others on the road, but it’s also no fun for the car, or its tyres.

“High Speeds, alcohol, and tyres are listed separately among the top five major causes of fatal accidents in Australia, but statistics show that responsibility for the crashes is usually shared between at least two of them, with speeding a constant factor in it, ” Lett said.

“It also shortens the lifespan of car tyres, and makes big dents in owners’ wallets when they discover that they have to replace them well ahead of schedule.”

When Speeding isn’t Considered Speeding

He said many drivers have a different perception of what speed is. Some drive at speeds far exceeding the norm without batting an eyelid, and others drive at 5-10 km/hr over the speed limit.

“None really regard it as speeding, or even of being dangerous in any way. Instead those who drive just over the speed limit seem to view it as being necessary, either for getting somewhere on time, or for keeping the fine down if they’re stopped for speeding. The real speedsters just view high speeds as exciting, and some simply don’t notice that they are driving fast,” Lett said

Lett, citing WHO statistics, said those who push up the numbers on the speedometer by just one percent of the average speed for any particular road, push the risk of a crash which results in injury up by 2%, serious ones by 3%, and fatal crashes by 4%.

This means if a 50 km/hr speed limit is taken as the average speed suitable for that road, driving at 55km/hr there would increase those threats by 20%, 30% and 40% respectively. And that’s when driving at only 5km/hr higher than the speed limit or 10% of the mean.

Speeding Habits That Shorten Tyre Lifespan

Lett says it isn’t always the speed itself that causes tyre degradation and damage, but what drivers do when speeding. These include hard acceleration when starting, and overusing the pedal to brake at very high speeds, as well as failing to keep tyre pressure at the right level, which worsens the impact of speed on tyre function.

Studies show that speeding on highways will usually push up tyre temperature considerably causing damage to the tyres, while, by comparison, driving at a fairly constant speed with few hard accelerations and little braking on the same highway will result in reasonably consistent temperature and therefore cause less tyre damage.

The same principle applies to speeding on city roads, according to Lett. Although longer tyre lifespan is the norm in cities with high traffic, and lower speed limits, this is not the case when drivers speed on them. These speedsters’ tyres will wear out even faster than those on cars driven at a constant speed on the highway.

Impact of Speeding on Tyre Performance

He says the major risk of speeding lies in the increased likelihood that the driver will lose control of the car and be unable to stop in time to avoid a collision. Trying to brake suddenly can cause loss of traction between the tyre and the road and this sudden change in grip and stability may cause the car to roll, swerve or slide.

Lett says both the impact and the amount of damage are linked to the amount of speed involved when braking. Even a small speed increase of 5 km/hr will add 5 meters to the braking distance which a car driving 5km/hr slower would take to stop. Should the gap between the speeding car and the object or car ahead not be sufficient to account for that extra 5meters, not only will the driver be unable to stop in time, but the car will still be travelling at a fairly high speed when the impact occurs.

Not so Easy to Dodge Trouble

Speed also affects the driver’s ability to dodge obstacles on the road such as road kerbs, potholes, and even the speed bumps installed purely to limit speed on the road. It may also make it difficult to round sharp corners without damaging the tyres.

Lett says these obstacles can damage tyre casings and destroy the cords inside them. This leaves large and visible bulges on the sidewall which, if ignored, will lead to tyre failure because of sidewall disintegration, or from damage to the tread and plies.

When it comes to replacing damaged and worn tyres, Chris Lett and his Branigans tyre outlet on the Gold Coast will help relieve the budget strain with high quality and closely-checked second hand tyres. These still have a lot of life in them if driven at reasonable speeds and will cut the costs of new ones by about half.

For further information, visit or call Chris and his team for Second Hand Tyres Gold Coast |Branigans Budget Tyres Service Centre at either Burleigh Heads (07) 5535 2660 or Southport (07) 5591 8633.

Syndicated by Baxton Media, The Market Influencers, Your Digital Marketing Agency.