By Denna Bowman

The Obama administration has started publishing high-value data on a wide range of topics, including tyres, gathered from Cabinet-level government departments.

The measure is part of a commitment to transparency and open government and in the case of tyres, the aim is to assist consumers purchasing new vehicles or replacement tyres with the latest product information.

According to the data.gov website: “NHTSA has rated more than 4,200 lines of tyres, including most used on passenger cars, minivans, SUVs and light pickup trucks, using a grading system known as the Uniform Tyre Quality Grading System (UTQGS).

“UTQGS allows consumers to compare tyre tread wear, traction performance and temperature resistance.”

The US government is also releasing high-value datasets to meet the Open Government Directive on topics ranging from child car seats to Medicare services for the elderly.

The mountain of newly available information came a year and a day after US president Barack Obama promised on his first full day on the job an open, transparent government.

Under a White House directive, each department must post online at least three collections of “high-value” government data that never have been previously disclosed.

All the new data collections will be added to the government’s existing web site, data.gov.

By Oliver Hall

An unemployed man caught slashing the tyres of a police car on CCTV has been put under a six-month curfew.

Brett Timlett, from Watford, was caught on film crouching down next to the police car, which was seen lowering as the tyres deflated.

During the trial 37-year-old Timlett protested his innocence and insisted that although it may have been him on CCTV it would be “pretty pointless” to carry out the act of criminal damage to the marked police car parked.

At the time of the offence Timlett was on a conditional discharge for theft after being caught loading up his arms with 12 boxes of perfume.

Magistrates at St Albans Magistrates Court heard that there were few sentencing options open due to Timlett’s “illness”. The bench heard that he could not carry out unpaid work and he was already on a community order.

The court therefore imposed an electronically monitored six-month curfew from 7pm to 7am.

Timlett was ordered to compensate the police for the damaged tyres and must pay £300 costs. The amounts will be deducted from benefits.

Here’s a story to melt your heart on a cold day - Goodyear tyres are looking for snow saviors who spread a bit of cheer during the UK’s Arctic spell.

And the winner will receive - you’ve guessed it - a set of Goodyear cold weather tyres!

So why not nominate someone who came to your rescue during the big freeze. They could have helped shovel snow from your drive, gave you a push up a steep hill or simply shared a flask of coffee in gridlocked traffic.

Whatever the reason, leading tyre specialists Goodyear, want to hear from you.

And if your “snow angel” melts the judges heart they will be presented with a set of cold weather tyres that will provide better traction, grip and handling on the snow.

James Bailey, corporate communications manager for Goodyear, said: “By going out of our way to help others in distress we are preventing winter driving from becoming a stressful experience.

“By sending in your stories, we want to acknowledge the spirit that exists within the driving community to ensure we are kept safe during these treacherous driving conditions.”

Send your nomination to snowangel@connect-group.com or via ‘I got stuck in the snow 2010′ on Facebook. Closing date for entries is Friday 5th February 2010.

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

​Potholes appear to have replaced the weather as the nations latest obsession, as more and more craters open up across the UK, wrecking havoc on the roads and causing major damage to tyres and suspension systems.

Motorists are expected to have to cough up hundreds of pounds to replace tyres and carry out essential repairs to their vehicles if they are unlucky enough to encounter a giant pothole.

Meanwhile, local councils, highways agencies and insurance companies are preparing to be inundated with compensation claims during the next few months.

Every day there are fresh news reports in local newspapers claiming their region could be home to the worst pothole in the UK after the recent cold snap wrecked the roads.

The first thing motorists must do after driving over a large pothole is check the condition of their tyres as soon as possible. While some tyres are destroyed instantly, others suffer minor damage which may be repaired if treated urgently.

Existing etyres customers who suffer a damaged tyre can rest assured it will not cost them a penny if they give us a call, because they are entitled to free puncture repairs!

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Alex Kapadia

Hankook is considering increasing the price of its tyres around the world, according to a Bloomberg report.

South Korea’s biggest tyres manufacturer blames the rising cost of raw materials for the possible price hike.

The Seoul-based company has already raised prices in the US due to the higher commodity costs.

Yii Seong Ha, a spokesman for Hankook, told the financial news organisation: “We’re considering raising prices in other regions.

“The timing and size of increase may differ region by region, but a price increase seems inevitable after raw material costs including natural rubber climbed.”

The market reacted positively to the news and Hankook climbed 4.1 percent at the close of the Korea Exchange.

Kim Byung Kuk, an analyst at Daishin Securities, said speculation that the company may raise prices in Europe and other markets boosted shares.

Kim Yong Soo, another analyst at SK Securities, added: “The company will be able to raise prices by 8 percent, on average, in 2010, and the first increase may come soon in the first quarter.

“The price increase may not fully cover the increase in raw material costs, but strong global demand for cheaper tyres such as Hankook’s should limit the impact.”

By Denna Bowman

While most analysts agree 2009 was a difficult year for the UK tyre manufacturers and distributors industry, etyres has bucked the trend.

The UK’s leading online tyres company has seen record demand for its convenient mobile fitting service and during the run up to Christmas, sales were up a staggering 60 per cent.

While other tyre retailers have been hit by a fall in sales and high operating costs, including expensive depots, etyres has experienced a surge in online orders. And its low overheads have meant it has been able to continue offering customers premium brand tyres at prices up to 40 per cent lower than the leading high street chains.

However, according to research by leading industry analysts Plimsoll much of the industry has been struggling during the past two years.

David Pattison, senior analysts and author of the 2010 Plimsoll Analysis explained: “The recession tore through the market in 08 and most 09 like a tornado and accelerated the rate of change in the market.

“Aggressive “growth at all cost” operators have been forced to abandon their reckless strategies and many have been caught out and are in real trouble. However, some amazing companies have come through the recession largely unaffected and look set to make 2010 their year.”

And while he forecasts more job losses and consolidation throughout the industry, etyres is continuing to expand opening new branches across the UK.

By Alex Kapadia

Motor racing driver Narain Karthikeyan, the only Indian to have raced in Formula One, is teaming up with a tyres company to promote its brand.

The Indian tyres manufacturer MRF has appointed the driver as its “Racing Brand Ambassador”, but the deal will also smooth the way for Karthikeyan’s driving career.

For along with his fee, the 35-year-old driver has also secured sponsorship for his team in competitions starting with the three-legged MRF Restricted International Challenge racing events spread over three Sundays from January 31.

Coimbatore-based Karthikeyan has faced difficulties in raising the required finance which would have allowed him to remain in Formula 1, the pinnacle of world motor sport, and has instead been involved in competing for AI India in lesser known Team championship.

Karthikeyan said: “It is an honour for me to represent MRF Tyres and join their efforts to take motor racing to the next level in India.”

The debates about merits of low-profile and winter tyres cropped up in the letters page of the Sunday Times popular InGear section this weekend.

Reader Alex Ogle, from Taverham, Norwich, vented his views on the two types of tyres in a forthright letter. This is what he had to say:

“Hardly a week goes by without Jeremy Clarkson and Andrew Frankel complaining about the ride in the model model under test. No doubt the poor ride is due to the ultra-low profile tyres fitted to beef up the handling of the so-called sports models, when the suspension is not really up to the job.

“While this may be effective on a billiard table surface, it is a positive disadvantage on uneven roads and loose surfaces. Flexibility in the tyre wall diminishes considerable at profiles less than 50%, creating the problem. The effect is even worse in bad weather.

“I have experimented with many tyres over 30 years and never use less than 50 profile, and I always fit winter tyres. The grip of the tread and the softer tyre walls provide great benefits and would have helped many who have been stuck in snow recently. It is pointless blaming others for problems caused by snow if the simplest precautions are not taken by motorists themselves.”

TV presenter and Daily Mirror columnist Fiona Phillips has revealed she is one of the many thousands of motorists who have had to fork out for new tyres and other car repairs after driving over a pothole.

Now she has vented her anger in her regular newspaper column at local councils who take our money and leave us in a hole - literally.

This is what she had to say: “So, you know if you have the temerity to delay your council tax payment for one reason or another your local authority gets vile bailiff companies to threaten and intimidate you, before they actually arrive on your doorstep ready to take away your car or your furniture? So what happens if the council isn’t fulfilling its obligations to you? Yeah, you’re right, nothing. You still pay. They don’t always display.

“The roads in my area are a disgrace. There are potholes everywhere and I’ve spent a fortune in wheel re-balancing, fixed punctures and new tyres over the past few years, not to mention wrongly-issued tickets.

“I’m thinking of sending them my bills or, better still, suing them, only it wouldn’t make any difference.

“On the other hand, if we all did it…go on, make my day!”

Oliver Hall, Opertions Team

Great news for anyone looking for ultra-high performing tyres - the Yokohama ADVAN Neova AD08 will be rolling on to the UK roads in March.

The Neova AD08 is the latest addition to the Japanese tyres manufacturers flagship ADVAN range, which it claims epitomises the highest levels of performance, grip and safety Yokohama has to offer.

It is billed as a tyre designed specifically for track day cars, while at the same time, being road legal to allow sports cars to be driven to and from the circuit.

Lotus, Ariel and Tesla have all already adopted it as original equipment on their ranges of sports cars.

David Seward, managing director of Yokohama, said: “We are delighted that we are now able to offer the ADVAN Neova AD08 to discerning UK drivers.

“We feel it is a unique proposition, offering almost racing tyre performance to the road driver while encompassing good levels of comfort and low noise. With the introduction of the AD08, we now have the perfect tyre for every driver of every car across the Yokohama range, from city car to super car.”

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team