Curbing tyre-related accidents on Nigerian roads

Over-speeding and tyre burst are frequently being reported as the commonest twin causes of road accidents around the country. The disgusting situation is firmly blamed on Nigerian motorists for what is observed as their habitual haste on the roads, while cruising on worn-out tyres that are susceptible to burst most times. Accidents resulting from tyre […]

Over-speeding and tyre burst are frequently being reported as the commonest twin causes of road accidents around the country.
The disgusting situation is firmly blamed on Nigerian motorists for what is observed as their habitual haste on the roads, while cruising on worn-out tyres that are susceptible to burst most times.
Accidents resulting from tyre burst when vehicles are cruising at top speed have often been ghastly.
Investigations carried out by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on the accident that occurred at the Kaduna-Zuba expressway in March this year, which claimed the life of the Minister of State for Labour James Ocholi and his wife and son, proved that they had a tyre burst while driving on high speed.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum on tyres in Abuja recently, Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi, revealed that the road safety agency recorded a total of 224 road traffic crashes due to tyre burst just between the 1st t of January and 15th May this year.
An analysis of the crashes shows that a total number of 1,041 commuters comprising 683 men, 306 women, 27 boys and 28 girls were injured while 198 people comprising 139 men, 33 women, 17 boys and 5 girls were killed.
The analysis also shows that 137 commercial vehicles were involved in accidents caused by tyre burst. Among the 1,297 commuters involved, 153 lost their lives while 691sustained various degrees of injuries. 78 private cars were involved in tyre burst road crashes, killing 28 people and injuring 300 people. For government vehicles, nine cars were involved, 13 people killed and 50 people injured.
The problem of bad tyres has indeed been an issue to the corps over time but Mr. Oyeyemi said the problem of tyre burst, which has persisted for a long time, has now taken a new dimension to become the major cause of road accidents in recent times.
A survey by the FRSC shows that tyre-related crashes have been responsible for the destruction of 5,288 vehicles between 2011 and 2015. The survey shows that there were more expired than non expired tyres used by motorists on the Nigerian roads, with the expired ones constituting about 61 percent and the non expired tyres, about 39 percent.
The survey also shows that 35 percent of vehicles in that period drove on fairly-used tyres, 15 percent on re-bore tyres while 50 percent had new tyres. Also, it was discovered that nine percent of tyres used were completely worn out tyres while 91 percent were not completely worn out. Not completely worn-out tyres are termed expired. 58 percent of motorists have knowledge of the expiry dates of their tyres and how to check that on their tyres, while 42 percent have little or no knowledge.
The accident involving a group of medical doctors travelling from Ekiti State to the northern part of the country recently was another instance of the use of substandard tyres because the FRSC’s investigation revealed that the tyres their vehicle was speeding on, which were manufactured in 2008, expired in 2012.
Mr. Oyeyemi, at the summit, attributed the influx of substandard tyres into the country to the shutdown and subsequent relocation of Michelin and Dunlop Bridgestone tyre companies from the country. Their relocation was due to poor patronage, as Nigerians preferred buying fairly-used and substandard tyres to new ones. The shutdown of the tyre companies gave rise to the importation of “over 250 substandard tyre brands into the country,” he said.
Speaking at the summit, the Acting Director-General of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. Paul Angya, listed the types of tyres available as Tube tyres, Tubeless tyres, Solid (forklift) tyres, Bullet Proof tyres and the Aircraft tyres, saying that every type of car has its own type of tyres it uses. He said adherence to this specification according to the respective vehicles provides safety, comfort, grip as well as ability to carry load, last long and save cost for the users.
He drew the attention of motorists to the lettering signs motorists should always look out for whenever they want to buy a tyres, explaining that those signs, which are inscribed on every tyre by the manufacturers, determine if the tyres are authentic and fit for the vehicle.
The ‘P’ letter on the tyre explains that it is a passenger’s car tyre. If the letter ‘LT’ rather than the ‘P’ is written on the tyre, it means that the tyre is meant for a light truck. The letter ‘R’, which is usually found in the middle of some figures, means that the tyre is Radial. If the ‘R’ letter is not on the tyre, it then shows that it is cross-ply.
The tyre width is usually the width of the tyre measured in millimetres from sidewall to sidewall. There are different figures inscribed on tyres to enable motorists determine the width of the various sizes of tyres. The figure 65 on a tyre means that the height is equal to 65 percent of the tyre width.
Various tyres have different diameters, which show the width of the wheel. Some wheels are 15 inches in diameter. Load index is the maximum load in pounds that a tyre can support when properly inflated. Most tyres also carry the speed rating information – ‘H’ or ‘V’, depending on the tyre type.
Every tyre has its life cycles. However, Angya explained that tyres can expire even when not in use. He listed the various conditions that could lead to tyre damage to include overloading, speeds, inflation pressure, driving method, road damage, and vehicle body as well as system conditions.
The Director General, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Engr. Amina Jalal, noted that a motorist needs to always maintain the exact amount of air pressure recommended for the particular vehicle he or she uses. Before checking a tyre pressure, the motorist needs to check the specified maximum inflation pressure for a cold tyre from the vehicle manual or tyre label on the vehicle side of the driver’s wall.
Engr. Jalal said bulges on side walls should be looked for on the tyres during periodic checks and if any is found, the tyre should be replaced immediately. During checks, it is also important to remove any glass, metal and stones stuck into the threads promptly, as they can cause air loss.
Wheel balancing and alignment, he said, should also be checked at intervals of about six months or 20,000 kilometres not ignoring the need to rotate the tyres periodically.
He recommended that tyre rotation should be done at every 12,000 kilometre and 24,000 kilometre.
The Corps Marshal of the FRSC said the frequent accidents cost the nation about three percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) “but we are trying hard to ensure that crashes and deaths are really brought down as nothing can compare with a life.”
Over-speeding is not left out on the causes of accidents. Mr. Oyeyemi noted that 65 percent of the accidents involving commercial vehicles were caused by excess speed.
He explained that most times when a motorist drives on an unregulated speed he or she faces the high risk of tyre burst, especially the tyres are not in good conditions. The chances for survival in this situation, is slim, because the vehicle will be difficult for the motorist to control.
The Corps Marshal said the commission would soon begin the installation of speed limiters device, starting with commercial vehicles. 
As the FRSC commenced the enforcement of proper checks by motorists on the life cycle and standardisation of their tyres, Mr. Oyeyemi the form of enforcement to be embarked upon by the commission was compasuasive whereby a vehicle is stopped and the tyres are checked. If the tyres are substandard or expired, the vehicle will be impounded but no fine would be paid by the motorist so that “we allow the person use the money and purchase a new and standard tyre, fix it up before we release the car to the person.”
The FRSC boss urged the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to explore the possibility of establishing a tyre producing plant to produce standard tyres for the Nigerian market with the aim of stopping the massive importation of expired and substandard tyres into the country.
The summit recommended to government the need for SON to be paying regular working tours to the borders with the aim of seizing and destroying the expired and substandard tyres entering the country.
It also recommended that motorists should fix same brand tyres around the cars because different brand tyres have their different life cycle and air pressure that fits them; and motorists should look out for the recommended tyre air pressure for their tyres at the side of the drivers car seat to ensure that every tyre is inflated with the air pressure it requires.
Speakers at the summit called for the reduction on the prices of new tyres to make them affordable to motorists.