By Denna Bowman

The RAC has compiled a motoring checklist ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend urging drivers to give their cars a thorough safety inspection from the tyres to windscreen wiper blades.

With thousands of motorists taking to the road for weekend getaways, the motoring organisation recommends taking the following steps to ensure a safe journey:

* Check the tyre tread - worn away tread is dangerous as the tyres won’t grip the road properly. Deflated tyres can cause further damage to the wheel, and will pull to the side as you drive. Drivers can be fined £2,500 for each tyre that is below the legal tread limit, as well as receiving three penalty points.

* Check tyre pressure - poorly inflated tyres put more strain on the engine and burn more fuel. Over-inflated tyres are also more likely to suffer a blow out.

* If your vehicle has a spare wheel, check that it is roadworthy - punctured or deflated tyres are easily replaced at the roadside if a spare wheel is present, and will take much longer to fix if there’s no replacement to hand. If the car does have a spare wheel, load the car so that it is easy to get to.

* Check engine fluid levels are topped up - long journeys in hot weather will put strain on the engine, so make sure engine oil and coolants are filled to the optimal level.

* Test the windscreen wipers and lights - ensure the windscreen wipers are not damaged, as this will affect driving visibility if the weather turns. The windscreen wiper reservoir should be full. The law requires all lights to be clean and in good working order, so walk around the car and check them before you set off.

By Oliver Hall

British drivers are throwing away £440 million a year by driving with under-inflated car tyres, according to new statistics.

Research carried out for Michelin tyres claims that poor tyre pressure maintenance is responsible for wasting more than 370 million litres of fuel every year.

And the French manufacturer also reports that improperly inflated tyres are also contributing to an additional 1 million tonnes of CO2 being pumped into the atmosphere.

The statistics have been released to coincide with the launch of Michelin’s annual Fill Up With Air campaign, which offers free tyre checks at more than 50 locations across the UK to help drivers understand tyre pressures and drive more efficiently.

Peter Snelling, head of communications for Michelin, said: “Based on the findings of Michelin’s 2009 campaign, if all of the cars in the UK were running on correctly inflated tyres then motorists would save a considerable amount of money and as a result, CO2 emissions would also be reduced.

“Last year we checked more than 5,000 cars and the results showed that a large percentage of motorists in this country are simply not taking tyre maintenance seriously.

“This year the Michelin Fill Up With Air campaign is going to be the biggest to date with more than 50 locations included in the tour, so if we’re in your town please take 10 minutes to come in for a free tyre check.”

‘It really is a matter of life and death and people should learn to check their tyres regularly and thoroughly which is what we can help them to do’, he concludes.

Michelin is campaigning to make drivers aware that the wrong tyre pressures can mean tyres wear out more quickly as well as increasing the car’s fuel consumption. With fuel prices at an all-time high it is now more important than ever that people set their tyres to the correct pressure.

The Fill Up with Air Roadshow will be touring the UK and Ireland from May to October.

When you have ordered your tyres online with etyres you can rest assured that even if there is a hiccup our fitters will do everything possible to get the job done - even when it means doing nothing!

That’s what happened when Chris ordered four tyres from our Tunbridge Wells branch. This is what he had to say: “Could you pass on my thanks to your colleague who came yesterday to replace my tyres. His willingness to hang around while I found a replacement for a missing locking wheel nut was much appreciated. It’s the kind of service that would definitely cause me to recommend Etyres to any (hopefully less idiotic) potential customers. Thanks again, Chris.”

etyres operate a mobile tyre fitting service which means we fit the tyres at a location of the customers choice - at their home or workplace. And because our overheads are low, so are our prices - up to 40 per cent cheaper then the leading high street depots.

Sabrina, National Call Centre

By Denna Bowman

While not exactly the stuff of a Bond movie, the theft of three tyres from a £175,000 Aston Martin is still a daring crime - since they had to be removed from the car while it was parked on a Mayfair street.

The gorgeous, curvy Aston Martin DBS was left propped up on a few bricks after having three tyres and their alloys stolen.

It would appear that the daring thieves may have been rumbled as they started taking off the fourth tyre in London’s exclusive Eaton Square in Mayfair and made a hasty exit.

They fled the scene leaving the car with bricks underneath its chassis and a mangled jack poking out of one side.

The bill for the incident has been estimated by an Aston Martin expert as being potentially £30,000, according to a report in the Daily Mail.

Replacing the wheels and tyres alone could cost up to £4,500, the body repair work might be £3,500 and the damage that has almost certainly been done to the brake pads by not being suspended above the ground could cost £20,000 to repair.

The DBS made its debut in the 1969 Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, with George Lazenby playing the infamous 007, then the new version of the car was back on the silver screen for Daniel Craig’s first outing as the agent in the hit 2006 movie Casino Royale.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1281324/What-WOULD-Bond-say–175-000-Aston-Martins-tyres-stolen-jacked-bricks-Mayfair.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz0p226U7Ay

By Alex Kapadia

Pirelli have won the race to supply Formula One with tyres from the start of the next season, according to Italian media sources.

The Italian tyres manufacturer will be the sports sole tyre supplier from 2011, taking over from Bridgestone who are exiting F1 when their contract runs out at the end of the current season.

According to Autosprint and Italiaracing, Pirelli has been selected by the teams and F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, beating rivals Michelin, Avon, Kumho and Hankook to win the contract.

Earlier this week Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo was asked to name is preference. He said: “As an Italian I prefer Pirelli, but experience tells me Michelin.

“In the end it will be the same for everyone,” he said in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Autosprint said Pirelli will be paid 1 million euros per team per season in 2011, 2012 and 2013, in exchange for identical attention and service and a range of just three compounds: soft, medium and hard.

According to the website Motorsport.com, the tyres will initially be in a similar 13-inch specification to the current Bridgestone product, with a longer-term ambition being a move to a low profile.

The decision is set to be confirmed shortly by the World Motor Sport Council.

Hats off to Continental tyres for its efforts to engage customers in a bit of fun with a serious message.

The tyres manufacturer is offering a fantastic five-day holiday to Rio de Janiero as part of a promotion to encourage consumers to be more environmentally aware.

It has launched its ‘How Eco are you?’ promotion in the US to accompany the roll out of its new Continental ProContact with EcoPlus Technology tyre line.

Continental is asking its customers to sumbit their “most creative and original ecologically impactful photos” in order to take part in the promotion, which started May 17 and runs until August 22.

It will culminate in the giveaway of a five-day/four-night trip to The Vila Gale Resort De Angra Dos Reis in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, while runners-up will receive sets of ProContact with EcoPlus tyres.

So far the front-runner entry is a photo of crocodile made out of recycled tyres - very snappy!

Denna Bowman, Head Office

Word-of-mouth recommendations are the best form of advertising - which is why we are delighted that so many customers who use our mobile tyres fitting service are happy to sing our praises to their family, friends and colleagues.

Our North West Manchester tyres team have just received this glowing recommendation from a customer Mr Livesey in Swinton who did just that.

This is what he had to say: “Just wanted to pass on my thanks, the service was outstanding.

“The fitter came to my place of work the day after my order and was very efficient.

“I told a colleague about the excellent service and she ordered two tyres for her mini, she received the same outstanding service.

“I will have no hesitation in recommending you, and of course will be using your company again.”

Not only do we provide a convenient free mobile tyre fitting service, which means we can replace your tyres at your home or workplace, but because our overheads are low our prices are cheaper too - up to 40% less than the leading high street tyre chains.

Lucy, National Call Centre

By Alex Kapadia

The Turkish Grand Prix is a popular event for Formula One drivers, however it has caused Bridgestone tyres problems in the past because tyre wear is so high.

Hirohide Hamashima, director of motorsport tyre development for the Japanese tyres manufacturer, said: “Istanbul Park has caused us problems in the past so it is a circuit where we pay particular attention to every aspect of our preparation.

“We have reviewed the tyre strength and durability of our tyres so far this season and we have seen no problems, even though the latest cars are both heavier and faster than previously.

“Turn Eight is the hardest corner we face during the course of the season, however this is not the only part of the track which is a challenge.

“The left-right-left of turns 12-14 are the lowest speed areas of the track and come straight after the highest-speed straight. This combination is a breeding ground for tyre graining, so competitors will have to pay particular attention here to minimise this, especially early in the race weekend when the circuit is dirtier and has less rubber on it.”

After all this gorgeous weather everyone is looking ahead with eager anticipation to the Bank Holiday weekend.

Well, we can’t control the weather, but we can help you make sure your tyres are safely inflated if you are planning on jumping into your car and heading for a mini-break or an exciting day trip.

To start with, making sure your tyres are properly inflated can give you a safer, cheaper and greener journey.

It only takes a few minutes and yet it could reduce the chances of a blow-out or puncture, cut the cost of filling up at the pumps and reduce your carbon emissions.

So, here’s our simple guide to checking your tyres pressure.

1. First check your vehicle handbook to find out what the recommended pressure is for your vehicle.

2. Unscrew the tyre valve cap – these are usually place and twist off by hand.

3. Insert the gauge into the valve and check the pressure on the gauge display. If it’s above or below the recommended pressure, it needs adjusting.

4. Use an electric tyre pump to fill to the correct level. These can be found at most petrol stations.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

By Oliver Hall

Goodyear is set to closes its Taiwan tyres plant at the end of next month in a bid to cut its operational cots.

It is part of the tyres manufacturers plan to move production to low-cost countries.

A total of 236 employees at the plant in Taoyuan, outside Taipei, will all receive severance pay as part of the redundancy moves.

In a statement the company said: “The decision aligns with Goodyear’s global strategy to shift production capacity to low-cost countries.

“Goodyear remains committed to the Taiwan market and will work to ensure that there is no disruption to the supply of products or services to its valued customers,” it added.

US-based Goodyear opened its Taoyuan plant in 1969. The plant manufactured car tyres for domestic and export markets.

The company said tyres will be supplied to Taiwan from plants in Japan, Southeast Asia and Europe.

The firm’s sales operations in Taiwan will continue, it said.

Goodyear employs 800,000 workers in more than 100 plants all over the world. In the first quarter of 2010, its losses narrowed to $47 million from $333 million year-on-year.