WheelRight’s John Catling says put the brakes on under-inflation

It’s official – Britain’s tyres are unloved and under-inflated, according to recent research. But WheelRight’s chief executive, John Catling, believes that the research results are indicative of a global problem.
September 30, 2016 Read time: 4 mins
A testing time: rolling onto WheelRight’s tyre pressure measuring unit at Keele services

It’s official – Britain’s tyres are unloved and under-inflated, according to recent research. But WheelRight’s chief executive, John Catling, believes that the research results are indicative of a global problem

Tyre underinflation is a serious, worldwide issue threatening the safety of drivers across the globe.Data from a study by the French Institute for Road Safety shows that in Europe 9% of all fatal road accidents and 41% of serious injury road accidents were attributable to poorly inflated tyres.

According to research by Germany’s DEKRA – one of Germany’s foremost vehicle inspection companies – more than 40% of serious injury road accidents were attributable to poorly inflated tyres.

Looking at the UK specifically, 8100 Highways England estimates that for HGVs alone, up to 3,600 accidents (and 20% of all breakdowns) each year are directly related to flat tyres or low tyre pressure.

7927 WheelRight - in association with the government-owned road management authority Highways England – conducted a year-long trial of the company’s drive-over tyre pressure monitoring system. A trial tyre pressure station was set up in March 2015 at one of the UK’s busiest service stations, WelcomeBreak at Keele, on a notorious traffic blackspot – the M6 motorway.

Free tyre checks were available for HGV drivers and motorists, Drivers simply had to drive over the instrument to access a free print-out from a nearby touchscreen kiosk to discover the pressure level of each tyre.

Over the trial's nine-month period, and from the thousands of readings taken, Wheelright found that a quarter of UK cars had dangerously underinflated tyres, while the average lorry will have at least one underinflated tyre. Catling said he believes that not only does this data paint a worrying picture of Britain’s tyre pressure maintenance, “we believe it also points to a wider problem worldwide”.

Awareness and awards

WheelRight’s data, explains Catling, indicates that drivers have a low awareness of the dangers of tyre underinflation. However, he says that there are signs that the European highways industry is keen to find a solution.

Earlier this year, WheelRight exhibited at Intertraffic Amsterdam – the world’s largest exhibition for traffic, parking and highways infrastructure. While at the event, WheelRight’s drive-over system won the Safety Innovation award. Over the course of Intertraffic Amsterdam, the company fielded enquiries from more than 120 visitors from 44 countries – from Argentina to Vietnam – keen to hear more about WheelRight’s technology. While it was a testament to WheelRight’s tyre pressure measurement technology, it also demonstrated that key decision-makers are taking tyre pressure seriously.

Also, during the trial process at Keele, drivers who received a low reading could - if they chose - visit the air machines located just a few metres away to ‘pump up’. “The majority of drivers offered this service chose to use it,” says Catling. “We believe this demonstrates a willingness among drivers to take a proactive approach to tyre pressure management when they can easily access the information and have inflation facilities to hand.”

The future of tyre pressure

There is, however, still a long way to go but the industry is seeking innovative products and services that will help businesses maintain proper tyre pressure. “Looking ahead, driver and industry confidence is vital to ensure a successful roll-out of the WheelRight technology. Our time at Intertraffic Amsterdam demonstrated that the European HGV sector is looking to embrace tyre pressure monitoring technology, especially when it is completely off-vehicle,” says Catling.

WheelRight’s “drive-over” function means that fleet operators don’t have to install costly technology into each of their vehicles. The ease-of-use of the technology means that tyre pressures can be checked every day, providing motorists, truckers and fleet operators alike with valuable peace of mind.

As a next step, WheelRight is looking to install their technology across vehicle forecourts.

The installed WheelRight instrument comprises two metal sensor plates that are mounted flush with the road surface. Vehicles driving over are identified using ANPR (automatic number plate recognition, or licence plate as in North America, ALPR). Tyre pressure data can be accessed in a variety of formats. These include touchscreen printout for individual users, text messages and data to an app, all while a fleet operator is receiving a comprehensive log of all its vehicles. The system is networked through the cloud. Any vehicle can drive over any instrument anywhere in the world and the data will be directed back to the user within seconds. As well as Pressure in Motion (PiM), an additional feature is Weigh in Motion (WIM) that meets the OIML R134 European standard for weigh-in-motion systems.


For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Speed limiters will limit fatalities, says the TRL
    July 29, 2019
    The soon-to-be mandatory speed limiters on vehicles in the European Union will make all safety other features more efficient, according the UK-based Transport Research Laboratory. In March the European Parliament passed a law that safety features such as intelligent speed assistance and advanced emergency-braking system must be installed in new vehicles from May 2022. They form part of the EU’s new suite of safety measures. TRL, which provided input for the European Commission regarding the formulatio
    Read More
  • The era of workzone data
    July 4, 2018
    Portable work zone messaging is now integral - not an add-on - when it comes to safety on large-scale highway projects. Andrew Williams* reports. Portable work zone ITS solutions have emerged in recent years as important flexible tools for managing major roadwork projects, from new-build to upgrades. They effectively ensure traffic disruption is kept to a minimum and lives can be saved. As such, the technology forms a central component of a major €1.7 billion project in the southern English county of Cambr
    Read More
  • Felix Scheuter, of Haenni Instruments, on effective highway weight enforcement
    September 26, 2013
    Felix Scheuter, managing director at Haenni Instruments, the renowned Switzerland-based mobile scales manufacturer, gives World Highways his views on how best to ensure effective highway weight enforcement The main danger for any road is its gradual destruction by overloaded heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). The more frequently such vehicles use a highway, the faster it is destroyed. Mobile patrol teams using mobile weighing scales are a highly effective way to enforce weight limits aimed at protecting ro
    Read More
  • Luxembourg duty for KiTraffic Plus
    September 28, 2023

    Luxembourg has opted for Kistler’s KiTraffic Plus weigh-in-motion system as it implements new commercial vehicle enforcement to meet the European Union requirements.

    The WIM installation is located on the A6 motorway about 2km from the border with Belgium. Several hundred meters of the road surface were renewed ahead of time so there would be no need to replace the sensors after a few years because of scheduled maintenance. The complete KiTraffic Plus system weighs trucks and delivery vans without interrupting motorway traffic, providing the basis for efficient weight enforcement.

    Read More

Highlighted Content