Despite advances in technology and roads, punctures remain an annoying fact of motoring life, says Hugh Oram
Punctures are still a bogey for motorists and are likely to always remain so, despite advances in tyre technology.
Modern tyre technology may have made punctures harder to detect, but the demand continues unabated for puncture repairs by tyre specialists and garages. The AA estimates that, out of around 100,000 call-outs in the Republic this year, some 6,800 will be from motorists with "flats".
Some sources say that road improvements mean fewer punctures. Desmond Burke-Kennedy, managing director of Advance Pitstop, Dublin, says that road upgrades have meant that the number of punctures has fallen considerably in the past three years.
However, Philip Lynch, managing director, TAB (Tyres and Batteries), Dublin, says that motorists are getting as many punctures as ever, because of the general state of the roads, despite all the new roads. He adds that with more sophisticated tyres - higher speed ratings and lower profiles - it's actually become more difficult to repair tyres.
Apart from the usual suspects, especially bottle glass and nails, lots of other objects cause punctures. According to Philip Lynch, these can vary from screwdrivers and lumps of steel to car handles that have fallen off and are lying in the road.
Mr Burke-Kennedy says that An Post has constant problems with dogs chasing post people. Dogs can and do bite through the tyre sidewalls - as a result An Post has had to use special reinforced tyres on its vans.
Advance Pitstop does puncture repairs at all of its 33 outlets. A puncture usually takes between 15 and 20 minutes to fix and the cost to motorists hasn't gone up very much.
According to Mr Burke-Kennedy, a puncture repair cost the equivalent of €4 two years ago, not having changed for the previous six years. "At €7, it is still low and is unlikely to change in the coming year or two".
Another big chain, Kwik-Fit, which has 33 outlets throughout the island of Ireland, also does puncture repairs as part of its service. "It's not a huge part of the business, but it's a service that's there," says Nick Byrne, training and development manager. About 80 per cent of punctures happen when roads are wet, he says. "If road conditions are dry, you're less likely to get a puncture."
Modern tyre technology can make punctures more difficult for, as Mr Byrne explains, "with modern suspension and lower profile tyres, you can drive a car for a mile or two without realising that you've a puncture." This can cause much more damage to a tyre: "In the old days, you knew immediately you had a puncture, not now."
Robert Taylor, director of RAC Ireland, which says that it's getting more call-outs due to punctures, says that more and more drivers are using tie-clips to prevent hub caps being stolen, only to find that when they need to remove them for a puncture, they can't. "Typically, a penknife can provide the solution," he says.
Desmond Burke-Kennedy adds that it's not so much developments in tyre technology but in wheels that make the difference when it comes to repairs.
With new tyre pressure sensors, which monitor tyre pressure when the car is in motion, great care has to be taken to avoid damaging the sensor itself when removing the damaged tyre.
The part of the tyre that can be safely repaired is also a vital issue, for as he explains, "there's a safe repair zone on the crown of the tyre. Repairs outside this area should never be attempted, especially in the sidewall area."
Correct tyre pressures are an essential safeguard against punctures, which are more likely to happen if the tyre is under-inflated. About half the motorists on the road don't check their tyre pressures. Tyre pressures should be checked at least once a month, particularly rear tyres, advises Semperit Ireland.
Advance Pitstop says that if tyre inflation drops 20 per cent, fuel costs go up by 3 per cent and the life of a tyre is reduced by 15 per cent. This company uses nitrogen production units in all its outlets and says that inflating tyres with nitrogen, at a cost of EUR1 per tyre, ensures constant tyre pressure.
Developments continue with run-flat technology, variations of which have been around for years, designed to ensure that motorists can continue driving, at least for a while, until they can get the tyre repaired.
Currently, Continental, the parent company of Semperit Ireland, and Bridgestone, are working to try and establish a global standard for run-flat technology.
Continental's ContiSupportRing (CSR) is one innovative solution for keeping a car mobilised in the event of tyre failure. If there's a sudden or gradual loss of air, the tyre is supported by the ring, so that a car with CSR tyres can carry on for another 200 km, at a top speed of 80 km/h.
Bridgestone's run-flat system uses reinforced sidewalls that support tyres in the event of air loss.
One advantage of a run-flat system, says Angus Smith of Semperit Ireland, is that it enables the driver to get to a safe place for changing the tyre, rather than risking an accident by changing a tyre at the roadside.
Run-flat systems also enable motorists to avoid changing tyres in difficult circumstances, such as in rain or at night.
Another advantage, he adds, is that for the first time in automotive history, it seems realistic to expect that in the near future, there will be no more need for a spare wheel.
Yet another solution to the problem of punctures comes from sealing tyres.
One such product is Superseal, which is a tyre sealing solution that's put into tyres through the valve. It was developed and is made by a Portadown-based company, Superseal International, and is sold through franchisees.
Once the solution is pumped into a tyre, it lasts for the lifetime of that tyre and ensures that in the event of a puncture, the tyre is permanently sealed and doesn't need any repair in the event of a puncture. It also eliminates the problem of under-inflation.
Terry Long, an authorised distributor for Superseal at Kilmacanogue, Co Wicklow, explains that an average car tyre needs about 300 ml of the non-toxic solution, while a jeep tyre will need half a litre. The cost for doing the four tyres on a small car is about €40 plus VAT. The product can be used to puncture-proof any type of tyre, from motor cycle to truck, but it's not a DIY product - it has to be supplied by an authorised distributor.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PUNCTURES:
• Causes of puncture: bottle glass, nails, lumps of steel, screwdrivers, dogs biting tyres.
• 80 per cent of punctures happen in wet road conditions - Kwik-Fit
• Expected AA call outs in 2002 for punctures: 6,800
• Average time for puncture repair: 15 to 20 minutes.
• Puncture inflation: 2000, €4; 2002, €7 - Advance Pitstop
• Only crowns of tyres can be safely repaired, not sidewalls - Advance Pitstop
• One of the main reasons for punctures is under-inflation, but around 50 per cent of motorists never check tyre pressure.
• Continental's new run-flat technology lets car drive on for up to 200 kilometres at speeds of up to 80 kmh on a flat
• The spare wheel could become obsolete - Semperit Ireland
• Punctures will never become obsolete - Hiq Atlas Tyres