U.K Parents Fail Falken School Tire Safety 'Test'

Motorists carry their most precious cargo when making the school run, but that’s no guarantee that the vehicles they use will be fit for duty. Time spent by Falken at Moorfield Primary School in Shropshire uncovered a high number of illegal tires – eight out of the 25 parents’ cars checked were fitted with tires that didn’t make the grade. The school parking lot check also identified one tire with a nail in it and a further two had tires more than 10 years old. In the interests of safety, Falken provided vouchers for free tires and fitting to the first five owners with illegally worn or damaged tires.

The school inspection underlines research undertaken by Falken’s U.K. distributor, Micheldever. It found more than 56% of the 8,900 tires it removed last month had less than the legal requirement of 1.6mm tread depth. “The results today confirm what our dealers are saying. There are a significant proportion of cars running on illegal or dangerous tires,” said Matt Smith, Falken’s U.K. director. “Tires are a crucial element in road safety and for a number of reasons, it is often a distress purchase, left until the last minute.”

Falken cites the current economic strain felt by families as a key factor why tires are being kept in service with low tread levels; according to Micheldever, in pre-recession 2008 the number of illegal tires it recorded was 15%, more than 40 less than today’s figure.

“We were surprised at the results,” said Mrs. Su Plant, headmistress at Moorfield Primary School. “We regularly address road safety with the children, but it would seem that parents need more information about the importance of tire safety. We thank Falken for its proactive attitude and for providing this service to the parents.”

Paula Holloway was one of the five to receive replacement tires for her car. “I am extremely grateful to receive two tires for my FIAT,” commented Paula. “Tires are not something I think about, but today made me realize how important they are.”

Following the success of the event in Shropshire, Falken is planning to roll it out to other schools across the U.K. “Based on our findings here in the Midlands, it would seem that there is much to do to educate the public about checking tread depth,” stated Smith. (Tyres & Accessories)

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has named Ryan Waldron as president of the company's Americas business unit, reporting to Chief Executive Officer and President Mark Stewart. He succeeds Steven R. McClellan, who retired on April 1.

"At Goodyear, our customers are at the center of everything we do, and in Ryan Waldron, we have a customer-centric, execution-focused business leader with a deep understanding of both the marketplace and all aspects of our business, as well as a proven track record of delivering results," Stewart said. "I am thrilled to announce him as president of Goodyear's Americas business and have enormous confidence that under his leadership, both the company and our customers will reach even greater levels of success."