Top Tyre Tips from Consumers #1 Tyre Brand

We believe that the reason the South Africans have voted us the #1 Tyre Brand¹ for the past 8 years is that we take safety seriously. Safety is something that is part of the Dunlop DNA. It is a key priority in everything we do, from the manufacturing of tyres and employee safety on the factory floor, to our branches and our Dunlop tyre fitment centres to educating road users on safe tyres practices.

Being sure that your tyres are in good condition before you head off on your road trip is essential, especially as global reports show that the leading cause of death for people aged between 5 – 19 is road accidents.

The following Top Tyre Tips will help you ensure that your tyres are ready for the journey:

Check the pressure: Inflating your tyres to the correct pressure, as per the vehicle owner’s manual or the panel on the inside of the driver’s door, will not only extend the life of your tyre, it will assist with the braking and road grip when you get back on the road. Under-inflation can lead to tyre blow-outs and over-inflation reduces traction, so if you cannot check the inflation at home, head to your nearest filling station to have this checked. Inflating your tyres to the correct pressure while your vehicle is standing may not seem important, but it can help to maintain the tyre and prevent the development of flat spots and will ensure that your vehicle is ready for use in the case of an emergency or when the time comes to take the road again.
Inspect your tread: Turn your steering to the far right and check the tread on your front tyres. Be sure to do a close inspection of the back tyres too. The tread needs to be above the tread depth indicator, a small gauge set at 1.6mm in the grooves of your tyre, to be legal. When the tread is below, or in line with the indicator, your tyres need replacing and driving with them in that condition will put your safety, and that of other road users, at risk. This would also be a good time to check for any damage that may now be evident as a result of hitting a pothole or pavement/curb when the vehicle was in use, and checking the sidewalls of the tyres for any other signs of cracking or damage.
Rotate your tyres: Rotating your tyres on a regular basis has been shown to increase the tyre lifetime and improve tread wear. This should be done by a professional tyre fitment centre, that will check each tyre for issues such as reduced or uneven wear, sidewall damage or punctures.
Buy New: According to testing by the Automobile Association, part-worn tyres show reduced performance over brand new tyres, especially with regard to wet-braking, and as much as a 33% reduction in handling ability. The definition of a part worn tyre, in this study, was a tyre skimmed to 1.6mm – which is the legally required limit in South Africa according to the National Road Traffic Act, No.93 of 1996. Buying second-hand tyres puts you at increased risk, due to the reduced performance, but also of buying illegal tyres. Safe to use second-hand tyres need to meet legal standards³ and be suitable for their original intended use to be permitted for sale.
However, the reality is, unscrupulous operators purchase tyres that should have been scrapped and mutilated as waste tyres⁴, as they are no longer safe for use, and regroove them for resale. The illegal and dangerous practice of regrooving involves cutting the grooves of the tyres deeper, to make it appear that the tyre has more tread remaining but can also result in other damage to the tyre. With around 60% of all second-hand tyres sold for re-use being below the legal standards, therefore illegal, it is definitely a safer option to buy new.

To find your closest reputable tyre fitment centre, download the Dunlop MyTyres app.

¹ The Ask Afrika Icon Brands Survey, run by Target Group Index Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd, surveyed over 23000 consumers representing nearly 27 million adult South African consumers.
² https://www.aa.co.za/insights/car-tyre-safety-remains-a-problem-in-sa
³ Section 212 of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2000 (GNR.225 of 17 March 2000) under the National Road Traffic Act, No. 93 of 1996 defines the conditions for a vehicle to be permitted to use the road, and includes a definition of what tyre conditions are considered illegal for use on public roads.
⁴ Regulation 1 of the?Waste Tyre Regulations, 2017 (GN 1064 of 29 September 2017) under the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, No. 59 of 2008 defines a “waste tyre”.

Top Tyre Tips from Consumers #1 Tyre Brand

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