By Andrew Williams,
Contributing Editor

A leading taxpayers association has criticised the BBC over its use of taxpayers’ money to investigate the near-fatal crash involving Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond.

The Daily Mail revealed that the BBC had spent over £43,000 investigating the crash, only to find that the crash was caused by a nail in Hammond’s tyre.

A spokesperson for the Taxpayers’ Alliance stated, “it’s bizarre that the BBC should spend so much investigating the health and safety reasons behind a Top Gear crash. For the amount they paid, they found out very little”.

In response the BBC commented, “The BBC is committed to offer support to all members of staff in the event of them being in a serious accident at work.

The BBC believes it was an entirely proper use of funds to support Richard and his family at this time of suffering and distress”.

By Andrew Williams,
Contributing Editor

Its official, we are amongst the worst drivers in the world when it comes to maintaining tyre pressures.

A year-long study by Michelin has revealed that the percentage of tyres run on incorrect tyre pressure, in Great Britain, was as high as 80%. The study further revealed that the tyre pressure in 50% of tyres is dangerously low.

The French tyre giant checked the pressure in thousands of vehicles in 27 European countries, and the results reveal that the UK is ranked at an appallingly low 25th. Only Greece and Latvia came lower than Britain.

The most worrying aspect of the British Motorist?s indifference is one of safety. Peter Snelling, head of communications at Michelin UK, states: “According to Department for Transport statistics 6 per cent of all fatal motorway accidents are caused by under-inflated tyres.? The survey also revealed that one in eight motorists (13%) were driving on at least one puncture.

There are also financial and environmental implications to our lackadaisical attitude. A typical tyre, running on a pressure of 10psi below recommended levels effectively adds 3p per litre to the running costs of a car. This increase in fuel consumption has a marked effect on the environment, adding an extra 5.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases per year.

Michelin’s research was part of the company?s ?Fill up with Air? campaign, and saw more than 2,300 cars inspected across the UK. Of the cars tested, 36 per cent were found to have at least one tyre between 7 and 12 psi below the recommended pressure level, and 15 per cent were at least 14psi or more below the specified level - which is as much as 50 per cent below the correct pressure.

It is remarkable that something as simple as checking tyre pressures could have such a profound effect on our safety, our finances and the environment, and yet the public is not prepared to take a couple of minutes each month to check their tyres.

The Michelin ?Fill up with Air? campaign will run throughout 2008, with dates and venues to be announced shortly.

By Andrew Williams,
Contributing Editor

Goodyear?s DuraGrip tyre, which the company claims can pay for itself within a year, has enjoyed tremendous sales success throughout 2007. As a result Goodyear have decided to extend the range to cover smaller, family saloons, such as Golf, Polo, Focus, Fiesta, Punto and Astra.

Goodyear designed the tyre to combat the effects of city driving. It boasts improved rolling resistance, which reduces fuel consumption to the extent that the lower petrol bill will pay for the tyres in a year.

The tyre delivers 18% lower rolling resistance than its predecessor the Goodyear GT2. This results in a reduction in fuel consumption of 3.6%, which translates to a saving of more than

By Andrew Williams,
Contributing Editor

The continued growth of the 4×4 market in the UK has prompted Pirelli to release a new range of tyres designed to meet the needs of drivers of high-performance SUV?s such as the BMW X3 and the Porsche Cayenne.

The new Scorpion range includes the Scorpion Zero Assimetrico, an ultra-high performance tyre manufactured using Pirelli?s MIRS process. This is a low-profile tyre, available in V, W and Y speed ratings, and it has recently been adopted as an approved fitment for the new Range Rover Sport.

The Scorpion P Zero Rosso is another premium-performance tyre developed from the successful P Zero. Available with W and Y speed ratings, it offers high performance and low noise levels. It features an asymmetric design with continuous grooves, wide ribs and full shoulders, which gives a high contact pressure and excellent water dispersal, making it ideal in both wet and dry conditions. The Scorpion P Rosso Zero is offered as a fitment on the Porsche Cayenne.

The Scorpion STR is a versatile, all-season tyre with a high load-index, designed to deal with the pressures of heavier, more powerful vehicles. It offers durability, precise handling and a fast, comfortable ride. Off-road performance is particularly good, and the tyre performs well in both wet and dry conditions. The Scorpion STR is fitted as original equipment on the BMW X3.

The fourth tyre in the range is the Scorpion Zero. Pirelli describe this tyre as a ?state of the art, on/off-road, ultra-high performance product for the latest generation of off-roaders?. It is an approved fitment for the new Range Rover Discovery, and is available with H, V and Y speed ratings.

Pirelli?s new range offers a number of other off-road options including high-performance winter tyres offering extra traction. Scorpion Ice & Snow tyres are made using a tyre tread compound that remains flexible at low temperatures, resulting in enhanced grip and controlled handling in icy, winter conditions. The circumferential grooves give excellent water dispersal, reducing the risk of aqua-planing in wet and slushy conditions, and the angled tread-blocks, with lateral sipes give enhanced grip in snow.

This new range of tyres from Pirelli offer owners of high-performance SUV?s the reassurance of safety coupled with tremendous handling characteristics.

By Andrew Williams,
Contributing Editor

Bridgestone Tyres are highlighting their commitment to safety matters, whilst also reaffirming their environmental credentials.

Bridgestone used the occasion of the recent Geneva Motor Show to re-launch their ?Think Before You Drive? safety campaign. This is the third year that the company has run the initiative, aimed at increasing awareness of the importance of simple safety measures concerning tyre maintenance. The evidence of 70,000 tyre checks held across Europe reveals that simple practices such as tyre pressure checks can increase safety levels and lessen environmental impact.

With the environment in mind, Bridgestone have also revealed a new concept tyre. The ?Ecopia? has been designed to minimise rolling resistance, while maintaining braking and handling standards. This results in a tyre which gives better mileage, thus benefiting the customer financially, and has less environmental impact, but still handles crisply and safely. The ?Ecopia? will not be on the market for some time, but is seen as the next development for Bridgestone following the success of the Potenza RE050A and the Dueler Sport run-flat, both of which offer safe, environmentally-friendly motoring.

By Andrew Williams,
Contributing Editor

Tyre tests in the latest edition of consumer magazine ?Which?? have awarded top spot to two Pirelli tyres.

The magazine, released on February 28th, reviewed 99 tyres in the two top-selling sizes (195/65 R15V and 175/65 R14T), and the top tyres were the Pirelli Cinturato P4 and the Pirelli P6.

The Pirelli Cinturato P4, which was launched in January, came out best in tests evaluating grip in wet and dry conditions, as well as those concerning durability and road noise. The tyre did well in all the tests and was recommended as good value for money. The P6 was recommended as ?very safe? after topping the tests for breaking under wet conditions.

Both tyres also featured in tests in Germany and Switzerland, where they again topped the rankings being recommended as, “excellent in all segments that are important for safety”.