Danger of kerb mounting highlighted
Date: 25/04/2008 12:00:00
TyreSafe, the tyre safety organisation, has warned drivers of the damage that mounting a kerb can do to their car's tyres and wheels axles.
The group has said the number of premature tyre removals has risen as a result of kerbing damage, while tread wear due to wheel or axle misalignment - also an effect of kerbing - has also increased.
TyreSafe has suggested that the increase is partly down to advances in car technology, making kerbs seem less troublesome when people are parking their cars.
“As most modern cars are now equipped with power steering, drivers consider that the presence of a kerb is not an obstacle to manoeuvring a car into a tight spot,” the group said.
This could result in a “tyre's sidewall being pinched between the kerb and the wheel” or a misalignment in the steering system, something that could lead to car insurance holders making a claim.
TyreSafe was originally set up 16 years ago as the Tyre Industry Council, according to the organisation's website.