BEFORE setting off on a journey, most people don’t give their tyres a second thought. But the correct tyre temperature is crucial for overall vehicle safety, providing grip, handling, and correct performance.
A cold tyre can cause understeer (front wheels) or oversteer (rear tyres) while too hot means rapid wear and loss of traction as if the tyre is bald!
Our Commercial Vehicle Unit officers are road safety experts in the commercial world and routinely check the roadworthiness of lorries, including their tyres.
Previously done by eye, they are now using a handheld thermal imaging camera which detects temperature measurements, making it easier to detect tyre faults.
The optimal tyre condition is when the rubber is flexible enough to conform to the road for maximum grip, but not so hot it degrades quickly. The mobile infra-red inspection device can detect where on the vehicle the hot spots are, showing coloured panels on screen, allowing officers to take the appropriate action or give advice to commercial drivers.
It also allows us to detect a ‘hot hub’. Axle fires are a real issue if a vehicle is overloaded on one axle which is overheating severely, potentially to the point of a fire. This is a serious safety hazard and usually indicates mechanical failure or improper maintenance. In addition, we can use the information to intervene before any lorry fire takes hold, leading to delayed journeys for thousands of people if it happens on our county’s strategic road network (M25, M11, A12 etc). So, it really is a life saver.
So, before you set off next time, take a moment and check your own tyres.
