Nokian Tyres innovations enhance traffic safety during the summer holidays

Driving Safety Indicator with aquaplaning alert shows the tread depth in simple figures, and the info area indicates the tyre pressure

Motorists should check their tyres before the holiday season in order to increase safety and comfort and maximize their peace of mind. When it rains in summer, water collects in the ruts in the road surface, creating a risk of aquaplaning. Tyres should have at least 4 mm tread depth in order to reduce the risk of aquaplaning.

According to a test by Nokian Tyres, a car driving on a straight road in the rain with new summer tyres will aquaplane at a speed of approximately 80 km/h. Old tyres with half the groove depth aquaplane already at 60 km/h.

Other tests conducted by Nokian Tyres show that the braking distances of new and worn tyres on wet surfaces differ significantly. When driving at a speed of 80 km/h, the braking distance of new tyres, with 8 mm of tread remaining, was approximately 22 metres. When using older tyres, with 4 mm of tread remaining, the braking distance increases by over four metres at the same speed.

Figures from 8 to 3 indicate the tread depth in millimetres, the raindrop warns of aquaplaning

To enable motorists to check the tread depth of their tyres more effectively, Nokian Tyres has invented an innovation that increases safety – namely, the Driving Safety Indicator with aquaplaning alert.

The Driving Safety Indicator on the Nokian summer tyres shows the driver the groove depth as a simple figure from 8 to 3. An aquaplaning alert within this warns of the danger of aquaplaning with a drop symbol. It disappears when there are only four millimetres of remaining tread, alerting the driver of the increased risk. No other tyre manufacturer has these innovations.

However, if your car aquaplanes, you will lose control of it. If this happens, never attempt to brake. “With manual transmission, press the clutch all the way down. With automatic transmission, lift your foot off the accelerator. Do not turn the wheel before your tyres contact the road again,” Matti Morri, Technical Customer Service Manager for Nokian Tyres, advises.

Save money without skimping on safety – the air in your tyres costs nothing

“Ensuring the correct tyre pressure is an important safety factor – a kind of life insurance. If a tyre is underinflated, the vehicle is slower to respond. Its braking distance is longer and its grip worse compared to a tyre with the correct inflation pressure.”

According to ADAC tests, if just one front tyre has 1 bar (100 kPa) less pressure than recommended, the car's braking distance increases by as much as 10 m on wet roads. If all four tyres are underinflated by 1 bar, the lateral grip is less than half than with the correct pressure.

“Check your tyre pressure every three weeks”, is expert Morri’s recommendation to motorists. “If the pressure is too low, the car uses more fuel. You notice this when you come to fill up. Whereas pumping air into your tyres costs nothing. ”A correctly inflated tyre can save over half a litre in petrol over 100 km due to the fact that its rolling resistance is reduced by up to 10 %.

Location and pressure indicators on the information area: correct inflation pressure and installation location during tyre change

The location and pressure indicators on the sidewall info area improve safety. The information area allows for recording the correct inflation pressure and installation location during tyre change. Safety and comfort are improved further by a new section that can be used to record the tightening torque of the wheel nuts for alloy wheels. The correct tyre pressure makes driving safer and steering more responsive, reduces tyre wear and saves fuel.

Check the condition of your tyres before setting off on holiday!

Four millimetres is generally considered a safe tread depth. If the tread depth is not sufficient, the car will aquaplane more easily and its braking distance on wet asphalt will be longer. Therefore, you should pay attention to the tread depth of your tyres before the holiday season.

Tyres that are evenly worn provide better grip, especially around corners, and more control. If the tyres are evenly worn, you should rotate them from the front axle to the rear. If two tyres are better than the others, you should fit them on the rear axle.

A good way to keep your tyres in shape for longer is to rotate them regularly, either once every 8,000 kilometres during normal driving or when the tyres have a difference in wear of 2 millimetres.

You should check whether the inner and outer sidewalls of the tyres are clean and whether any abnormal bulges, cracks or punctures are visible.

Every now and then, you should remove large stones from the tyre’s main grooves. Rocks that are firmly wedged into the grooves will not fall out while driving; instead, they will penetrate deeper into the tyre and may cause tyre damage.

Inflation pressure will directly affect handling and driving safety. You can find the correct tyre pressure in the vehicle’s manual. When the car is heavily loaded, you need to increase the tyre pressure by 10 - 15 per cent.

Special attention should be paid to vans and motor homes with a tyre pressure that should be close to double compared to ordinary cars. Hard loads require more tyre pressure. Pressure levels of C-tyres targeted for heavy use are typically approx. 4-5.5 bar (400 kPa to 550 kPa).

Tips for summer tyre maintenance:
www.nokiantyres.com/innovation/facts-about-tyres/useful-tips-for-tyre-maintenance/

Photo downloads Nokian Line SUV
www.nokiantyres.com/linesuv

Photo downloads Nokian Tyres summer season
www.nokiantyres.com/summerseason-nordic

Videos:

Nokian Tyres:Test winning summer tyres
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYB_BDc7XK0

Video:Nokian Line SUV – Tough wet performer
http://youtu.be/kOD9prmIPEQ

Video:Nokian zLine SUV – Tough cool performer
http://youtu.be/sYHyUmczeS4

Video Nokian Line - Test winning summer tyre for Central Europe:
http://youtu.be/YbsERA80v18

Video: Nokian summer tyres – Testing at the extremes
http://youtu.be/6kT0wLEOxY4

Read more:

New Nokian SUV summer tyres – driving comfort and cool performance
https://www.nokiantyres.com/company/news-article/new-nokian-suv-summer-tyres-driving-comfort-and-cool-performance/

Nokian Line SUV
https://www.nokiantyres.com/company/news-article/nokian-line-suv-summer-tyre-driving-comfort-and-performance-for-versatile-use-on-suvs/

Nokian zLine SUV
https://www.nokiantyres.com/company/news-article/nokian-zline-suv-summer-tyre-cool-performance-and-extreme-durability-for-suvs/

Nokian Line is test winner in the 2015 ADAC summer tyre test
https://www.nokiantyres.com/company/news-article/nokian-line-is-test-winner-in-the-2015-adac-summer-tyre-test/

Nokian Tyres test success
www.nokiantyres.com/innovation/test-success/

New Nokian Line – Top performance for wet roads
https://www.nokiantyres.com/company/news-article/new-nokian-line-top-performance-for-wet-roads-2/

Motorist blog:
http://community.nokiantires.com/

Nokian Tyres Europe
Nokian Tyres s.r.o
V Parku 2336/22
148 00 Praha 4
Czech Republic

Managing Director Central Europe Hannu Liitsola, Tel. +420 605 236 440 E-mail hannu.liitsola(at)nokiantyres.com

Technical Customer Service Manager CE Sven Dittmann, Dipl.-Ing., Tel. +49 8143 444 850 E-mail sven.dittmann(at)nokiantyres.com

Marketing Manager Lukáš Líbal, Tel. +420 222 507 759 E-mail lukas.libal(at)nokiantyres.com

Nokian Tyres Finland Headquarters
Nokian Tyres plc
Pirkkalaistie 7
P.O.Box 20
37101 Nokia
Finland

Product Development Manager Olli Seppälä, Tel. +358 10 401 7549 E-mail olli.seppala(at)nokiantyres.com

Development Manager Juha Pirhonen, Tel. +358 10 401 7708 E-mail juha.pirhonen(at)nokiantyres.com

Technical Customer Service Manager Matti Morri, Tel. +358 10 401 7621 E-mail matti.morri(at)nokiantyres.com

Product Manager Central Europe Stéphane Clepkens, Tel. +358 50 462 7536 E-mail stephane.clepkens(at)nokiantyres.com

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