High quality tyres can reduce road fatalities

A recent study has found that having good quality tyres could greatly reduce the high percentage of fatal road accidents in India. The study, by Professor Horst Wildemann of the Technical University of Munich and Bridge to India, a consultancy that specialises in environmental technologies, points out that tyre quality has a significant effect on the optimum distance required for safe braking and thus, also on the speed and impact of collision in an accident. High quality tyres improve road grip & handling and can reduce braking distance by 50%.

In 30% of all road accidents resulting in personal injuries, the collision speed and the severity of resulting injuries could be reduced with high quality tyres. According to the study, roughly 5% of all accidents could be avoided with better tyres. The study was sponsored by LANXESS, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of speciality chemicals. Synthetic rubber was invented in the laboratories of LANXESS’ predecessor company in 1909, and LANXESS continues to be one of the world’s top manufacturers of many different grades of rubber.

According to Professor Wildemann’s study, traffic fatalities in India have been increasing at the rate of 8% annually. More road accidents occur in India, although there are fewer vehicles in the country when compared with Germany or China.