Did you know that three out of four drivers wash their cars at least once a month while less than one out of seven even knows how to check their tyre pressure correctly? Tyres are one of the most important safety components of any vehicle. No matter how much horsepower or torque a fancy car has, its achilles heel is the condition and quality of its tyres. Thousands of accidents and fatalities each year are attributed to flat tyres - a driver can lose control during a sudden catastrophic tyre failure, or someone can get hit on the side of a road or be injured while changing a flat tyre

Under normal conditions and without punctures, a tyre can lose from 1 to 3 psi of air every month due to porosity. Additionally, tyres can lose 1 psi for every 10 °F temperature drop. Rubber, which is an excellent insulator and heat sink, will naturally build internal heat due to friction and the centrifugal force of the tyre carrying loads. A properly inflated tyre running at 65 mph will heat up to approximately 170 degrees. Most drivers and even their tyre experts don't realize that as little as 5 psi underinflation can cause tyres to run up to 25 degrees hotter and that a 10 percent underinflated tyre can wear out 15 to 20 percent faster. Underinflated tyres not only run hotter, but they also have excessive sidewall flexing which leads to premature fatigue and failure of the steel cords that can result in catastrophic tyre blowouts. Let's put it in perspective. If a tyre's pressure target is 30 psi, and the actual air pressure is 24 psi (20% underinflated), that tyre will not only wear out 20 to 25 percent faster, but will also be more susceptible to punctures, irregular wear, and result in fuel efficiency loss of up to 3%. In fact, tyre manufacturers consider a tyre that is 20 percent underinflated to be flat and recommend that the tyre be taken out of service.

Most drivers believe that the proper air pressure for their tyres is the maximum inflation pressure that is stamped on the tyre's sidewall. Each brand and model of vehicle has its own specific tyre pressure requirements. The air pressure requirement is a function of the vehicle's weight per axle, expected load, and operating speed and condition. Two different vehicles may have identical tyres but require different air inflation pressures. Look for the vehicle manufacturer's recommended air pressure listed on the sticker on your vehicle's doorjamb or owner's manual. For accuracy, check your air pressure with a quality, calibrated tyre gauge when tyres are cold. Tyres should be checked at least monthly, before any long trips, or when ambient temperatures change by more than 20 °F.

To minimize air loss from mechanical sources, use metal valve caps to eliminate valve leaks and to keep contaminants and water out of the valve mechanism. A valve core is a mechanical device that must seal against high pressures. Dirt can prevent the valve from sealing properly, resulting in air loss. Water also can get into the mechanism, which in cold climates would freeze. If water gets in and freezes, the expansion caused by the freezing water can crack the valve mechanism and cause valve failure. Thus, using quality metal valve caps are a cheap way of minimizing underinflation and downtime due to failures.

Of course even with all these precautions there is no way to avoid nails, screws, or other debris from puncturing your tyres. Punctures can lead to immediate flat tyres or result in slow leaks that cause your tyre's pressure to drop unnoticed to dangerous levels over time. Until now, motorists have had no active way of preventing flat tires other than luck. Now you can be proactive in protecting yourselves. Ride-On® Tyre Protection System (TPS) tyre sealants manufactured by Inovex Industries, Inc., a US manufacturer, is now available in India. Ride-On® TPS is a revolutionary line of tyre sealants formulated to prevent flats caused by punctures from nails, thorns, screws and other debris. Ride-On® TPS tyre sealants help extend tyre life by hydrodynamically balancing tyre/wheel assemblies, lowering tyre operating temperatures and helping tyres maintain their set-point pressures. Vehicles with Ride-On® TPS benefit from better handling, better fuel economy, longer lasting tyres and a safer ride. Ride-On® TPS tyre sealants also help to reduce the expense and aggravation of flat tyres and premature tyre failures. Ride-On® TPS comes in several formulations for use in both high-speed, on-road as well as slow-moving, off-road applications. Ride-On® has proved its success in the US and other countries and is used by hundreds of government agencies and municipalities, the military, the United Nations, and in thousands of civilian and fleet applications. Ride-On® is compatible with most Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and can be used in bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles, trucks, tractor-trailers, construction equipment and any other vehicle that uses pneumatic tyres. For more information visit www.shaniintcorp.com.