Incorrect tyre pressure contributes to tyre damage and poor fuel economy, but few of us check it as often as we should. Now a new system allows drivers to monitor tyre pressure from the driving seat.
The TyrePal system checks pressure continuously while you drive. Low pressure, overheating or a puncture will trigger an alert, which will be displayed on a monitor fitted in the cab.
TyrePal director John Pye said: “Statistics show that defective or under-inflated tyres are a factor in hundreds of fatal or serious road accidents each year and tyre condition is the most common vehicle defect contributing to fatalities.”
From 2014, EU legislation will require all new cars to be fitted with tyre pressure warning systems — although not trailers or horseboxes.
TyrePal systems are available for all horse transporters, from trailers to large HGVs.
The system uses sensors that are fitted on the tyres in place of standard valve caps. No extra wiring is required as the monitor runs on internal batteries or the vehicle’s 12-volt supply.
Jon Phillips of the Organisation of Horsebox and Trailer Owners welcomed the news.
“If this product works, it will be brilliant,” he said. “In my experience, 30 per cent of all breakdowns are tyre jobs.”
A four-wheel system costs £195 (including VAT), six-wheel starts at £249. Visit www.tyrepal.co.uk, or call 01780 755490.
This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (10 March, 2011)
