Member Feature: mycar: driven by safety

MYCAR: DRIVEN BY SAFETY

mycar Tyre & Auto is working hard to raise awareness about the critical topics of vehicle and tyre safety

With more than 275 locations across Australia and in excess of 1,300 employees, mycar Tyre & Auto is one of Australia’s largest names in the automotive industry. mycar provides a full range of automotive services including scheduled servicing, tyres, brakes, suspension, batteries and general mechanical repairs. Under its previous guise, Kmart Tyre & Auto Service, the company had long stood as one of Australia’s largest tyre, automotive service and repair businesses. In 2019, the nationwide rebrand to mycar was enacted, with the Kmart Tyre & Auto Service stores adopting a fresh new look under the mycar name and all locations rebranded by mid-September of that year. Now as mycar looks to take its brand to new heights, its team is working hard to set the benchmark in the tyre and automotive service industry. As part of this pursuit, mycar has been undertaking significant work in the area of raising consumer awareness around tyre safety. Informing these efforts is recent research conducted by Pureprofile on behalf of mycar on a nationwide sample of over 1,000 Australians. “At mycar we are driven by safety,” mycar Tyre & Auto Managing Director, Adam Pay, said. “Whenever you bring your car to mycar, you can trust that we have your best interests and safety at heart. We always put people first, and go out of our way to ensure that you leave completely satisfied, every time. “Our research shows that it is clear Aussies place a great deal of importance on on-road safety, however, fewer have the same assurance when it comes to their understanding of car maintenance. “While 84 percent of the nation plans on servicing their car this year, less than one-third (31 percent) consider whether their tyres are suitable for the journey ahead and just over half (56 percent) get their tyres checked regularly. “For those that don’t keep up with their logbook servicing, 29 percent say they will wait until their car has an issue, a further 29 percent don’t know the type of maintenance their car needs, 20 percent don’t see the point in it and 17 percent said they just don’t have the time. “Having good, well-maintained tyres on your car is essential to keeping you safe on the road, especially in situations like wet road driving and high-speed motorways. “Tyres can sometimes be an afterthought when it comes to taking care of our vehicles, but the fact is, they are one of the most important components when it comes to car safety. “Tyres that maintain the correct air pressure and have a safe tread depth are more effective when turning, accelerating and braking. Ultimately, these factors will keep you safer on the road. “At mycar, we want to ensure every Aussie has the right tyres to help keep you safe in all conditions. And with the current wet weather across much of the nation, this has never been more apparent.” Not only is the state of the tyre important, but ensuring the correct type of tyre is fitted to the vehicle is also paramount – something many consumers are not realising “Our research shows that over a third of Aussies (35 percent) don’t know what tyre is best for their vehicle and their driving style and 16 percent don’t

know how to check if their tyres are safe and roadready,” Adam said. “At mycar, we check our customer’s tyres for tread depth, uneven wear, punctures and damage, to ensure that their tyres are safe and roadworthy. “Our technicians will identify any issues with a customer’s tyres and advise them if they need replacing; and also provide information on what tyres are best suited to them. “We’re proud to train our team members to any new, and to the highest, industry standards, ensuring they acquire skills and knowledge in both technical expertise and in customer focused service quality.” Adam says it is crucial that workshops take up the task of convincing customers to act when it comes to unroadworthy and worn tyres. “Our technicians are there to provide the best information to customers regarding their tyres,” Adam said. “Tyres with 1.5mm of tread or less are not roadworthy, and may result in a defect finding by the police, and will need replacing immediately. “Similarly, if a customer’s tyres are approaching the end of their life, we will explain that they should consider replacing them soon. “We explain how having good well-maintained tyres on your car will keep you safe, particularly when it comes to everyday road risks and especially in wet conditions. “If we are requested to conduct a roadworthy inspection on a vehicle (in relevant states), we are unable to pass the vehicle and provide a roadworthy certificate. “We explain to the customer that it is unsafe to drive on these tyres and doing so can result in serious harm to themselves and others. We also remind the customer that having worn out tyre tread isn’t just unsafe, it’s also illegal.” No matter what their vehicle requirements, Adam says mycar has a range to suit every consumer need. “mycar Tyre & Auto has a wide range of quality tyres at price points to suit all budgets,” Adam said. “Our range includes Continental, Pirelli, Goodyear, Kumho, Diamondback and Viking for cars, SUVs, 4x4 and commercial vehicles. “Our pricing includes tyre fitting, environmentally friendly used tyre disposal, and the mycar Tyre & Auto price guarantee.” So how exactly does mycar ascertain roadworthiness, not just on tyres, but also on other parts of the vehicle? “Roadworthy inspections vary from state to state, but we will check over the car to ensure that it meets key safety and legal requirements,” Adam explained. “Some of the checks will include inspecting the tyres for tread depth, uneven wear, punctures or damage. “Among other components, we check the suspension and brakes, essential electrical components such as headlights and indicators, and we also inspect the engine and ensure the driveline is structurally sound.” To ensure optimum vehicle safety, mycar recommends a regular schedule for tyre checks. “We recommend the tyres are checked every 12 months or 10,000km by a professional, and drivers should be checking their tyre pressures every month,” Adam said. “If the tread has worn down, if you are slipping around in wet weather or finding your grip on the road is a little less sure, if you can see damage to the tyres, or if you are always pumping them up, then you need to change your tyres.” For more from mycar, visit www.mycar.com.au