Ashutosh Ha;dipur \'s forward > worth a serious glance by all FB brethern > very gud, very gud, Yeah!!

1. TYRE SAFETY

2. TYRE SAFETY Most of us operate motor vehicles on a daily basis and hardly ever pay any attention to one of the most vital parts of the vehicle - the tyres.

3. Unfortunately very few of us change this bad habit until it is too late. TYRE SAFETY

4. Did you know that tyres expire 4 years after the date of manufacture and this date is stamped on the side of the tyre? TYRE SAFETY

5. It is very easy to find out what the expiration date is on a tyre. If you check on the side, you will find a 4 digit number stamped on it. This number indicates the week and the year it was manufactured, therefore the expiration date will be 4 years later. TYRE SAFETY

6. This number indicates that the tyre was manufactured on the 7 th week of 2007 (or February 2007); that would place the expiry date at February 2011. 0 7 0 7 7 th week of the year, or “February” Year of manufacture 2007 TYRE SAFETY

7. If we use expired tyres these are likely to burst and result in a very serious or even fatal accident. It would be good practice for us to check our tyres and make sure they have not passed their expiry date. TYRE SAFETY

8. Another important point that we miss many times is proper tyre inflation. Most of the petrol stations will calibrate your tyres at 28 PSI and if you are going to travel they will even in many cases bring your pressure down to 24-26 PSI because they will “heat up on the highway and the pressure will come back up”. DO NOT ALLOW THIS On the side of the tyre, you will also find the maximum allowable inflating pressure for that specific tyre. Some tyres have a maximum pressure of 32 PSI, some are rated at 44 PSI and some even at 50 PSI. Check your specific tyre to see what the maximum pressure is; it is an acceptable practice to have your tyres a few pounds below maximum allowable pressure but not too much. TYRE SAFETY

9. MAX PRESS ACCEPTABLE 32 PSI 28 PSI 44 PSI 35 PSI 50 PSI 44 PSI (44 psi) MAX PRESSURE Different tyres are designed for different pressures and you will find your maximum tyre inflation pressure on a small number next to the rim on the side of the tyre. Never exceed this pressure. TYRE SAFETY

10. Lower pressure increases tyre heat. Infrared photography of tyres tested at high speed shows damaging heat increases as pressure drops. TYRE SAFETY

11. Another important point to consider is the load we put on the tyres. Many times we overload our vehicles without paying any attention to the strain this puts on the tyres. Exceeding the maximum load rating on a tyre may also lead to tyre failure and could result in an accident. World Health & Safety Day - 28 April 2010 TYRE SAFETY

12. Máxima Capacidad de Carga por Neumático Attached table shows the load index and maximum load carrying capacity per tyre in pounds and kilograms. World Health & Safety Day - 28 April 2010 TYRE SAFETY

13. Load index 109 maximum load capacity 2271 lbs 1030 kg. World Health & Safety Day - 28 April 2010 TYRE SAFETY

14. The speed rating for which a tyre is designed is indicated by a letter next to the load index. Adjacent table shows the speed ratings in Km/h. World Health & Safety Day - 28 April 2010 TYRE SAFETY

15. Many of us have bought tyres in the past and when they ask us the size of the tyres, we just read it from the old tyre and give them to the person at the tyre shop. But what do those numbers mean? World Health & Safety Day - 28 April 2010 TYRE SAFETY

16. P 265 / 60 R 18 Passenger car tyre Tyre width in Millimeters Radial Tyre Aspect ratio Height to width of tyre 60% of width in this case 18 Inch Wheel World Health & Safety Day - 28 April 2010 TYRE SAFETY

17. TEMPERATURE RESISTANCE The letters will indicate a tyre’s resistance to heat. Tyres are rated from highest to lowest resistance as A, B or C A B C World Health & Safety Day - 28 April 2010 TYRE SAFETY Simbolo Symbol Area A Hot area Area Caliente B Normal Area Area Normal C Cold Area Area Fria

18. Traction is a tyre’s ability to stop on wet roads. A higher graded tyre should allow you to stop your vehicle on a wet road in a shorter distance than a tyre with lower grade. Traction is graded from highest to lowest as ”AA”, “A”, “B” and “C” World Health & Safety Day - 28 April 2010 TYRE SAFETY

19. TREADWEAR This number will give you the rate at which the tyre wears out, the higher the treadwear the longer it should take for the tyre to wear out. Hence, a tyre graded at 400 should last twice as long as a tyre graded at 200 World Health & Safety Day - 28 April 2010 TYRE SAFETY