Pictures: Avoid buying death with your money this rainy season (Car Tyres – death traps)
Automobiles, Death, Lagos, Transportation, driving, situation report, traffic 3 Comments »
Tyres expire and may burst 4 years after their DOM. See how to check your DOM
Checking your tyre air pressure (gauge), date of manufacture, maximum load, maximum speed, traction and treading can save your life on Lagos roads. Here are DIY pictures on how to inspect your tyre before and after purchase. Bad roads, bad tyres, poor brakes, alcohol and dangerous driving are leading causes of death on our roads and with the rainy season swooping in, the FRSC expects to see more especially on Federal and inter-state roads.
Tips for surviving the rainy season in Lagos.
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- Check your tire pressure monthly, Rotate tires every 8,000km, look for signs of tread wear or damage.
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- Tyres expire and may burst 4 years after their DOM. See how to check your DOM
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- Tyre Safety, the numbers mean a lot more than mere graphics
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- Observing tire pressure, vehicle load limits and cuts can improve fuel economy
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- Temperature Resistance, Traction, Tread wear, Max. Load Capacity/tyre, speed symbol, Manufacturing date
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- Picture: How to find important information on your tyre
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- Temperature Resistance codes
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- Treadwear number, the higher the better
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- Traction indicates ability to stop on wet pavement
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- Maximum load capacity and tyre speed symbol
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- Manufacturing date of Tyre
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- Pay attention to details when buying your tyre (avoid tokunbo if possible)
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- Close inspection cant detect underinflation, use a good tyre gauge
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- Underinflation can create an overload on tyres
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- Lower Pressure increases heat
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- Tyre rotation reduces irregular wear
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- Tyre wear visual check using a coin
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- Inflate, Rotate, Evaluate – keys to tyre safety
In an article by Reuben Abati, “Motor accident is an easy cause of death in Nigeria. The roads are bad. The drivers are reckless. The vehicles are mostly second hand, used vehicles from Europe and North America running on used and worn tyres that are not made for the tropics. Earlier this year, the FRSC reported that over 1.2 million persons died from motor accident-related injuries in 2008 alone! The hospitals are ill-equipped, there is no emergency rescue facility, and concerned passers-by who usually stop to help, have no clues about how to deal with emergencies and save lives. Nigerians survive on the roads, by “the grace of God”
Please see Aderinola’s blog for more road accident articles.
LagosMet Verdict: Tyre skids, bursts and punctures can cause death to other motorists and pedestrians as well. Why not spend that money and go to sleep than buy the tyre that has the potential to claim yours and other peoples lives? Don’t drive a time-bomb, please help make the roads safe for Lagosians, we can’t be deprived of security, electricity, good roads, jobs and fuel and also face self-inflicted injuries from one another. Let us try to learn and apply new things so that we can move forward. Ignorance is no excuse… in this case. Eko o ni baje o!
