7 minute read
Motoring
Confusion over tyre pressure warning
WHILE a potentially life-saving feature, many drivers are still unaware of what the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) light is for when it appears on their dashboard.
Introduced as a mandatory safety feature on all new cars since 2014, it remains a mystery to some yet is one of the most important warnings drivers need to pay attention to.
To help drivers understand what it is and what they need to do if they see it appear, TyreSafe has developed a new animation that clearly explains what all motorists need to know.
As the name implies, TPMS is designed to monitor all the car’s tyre pressures and alert the driver if they fall below the recommended settings.
Driving with underinflated tyres not only wastes fuel and increases tyre wear but it also makes tyres more vulnerable to catastrophic failure, or ’blowout’ – a potentially life-threatening driving event.
Some systems will automatically turn the light out once a driver reinflates their tyres to the correct pressure, although not all do. In many instances, it is down to the driver to check the pressures, inflate the tyres accordingly and then manually reset the system.
Understanding which type has been fitted to their vehicle and what to do is essential for all motorists.
The TyreSafe animation also has advice should the light reappear soon after. It maybe a sensor needs replacing or there is a fault with the system. Both situations will need to be fixed if the car is to pass its next MoT as a functioning TPMS is a requirement of the mandatory safety test.
Should a driver see the TPMS light come on while driving, they should slow down, drive more cautiously and find a service area or garage where the pressures can be checked as soon as possible.
Stuart Lovatt, TyreSafe chair, said: “TPMS is an essential part of modern vehicle safety systems. If tyres aren’t at the right pressure, the vehicle’s handling and braking will be compromised.
“But, our research suggests a significant number of drivers ignore the warning light when it appears and carry-on driving – putting themselves and others at unnecessary risk.”
“You need to take action now, to understand what to do if the TPMS warning light does on come whilst driving. Take a few moments to watch our animation so you can act if this happens to you.”
The animation can be found at TyreSafe.org.
5 Dr AUTO in White Sat Nav with 2018 (18) SKODA KODIAQ 2.0TDi SE L 9.2” Touch Screen, Bluetooth System, Power Tailgate, DAB Digital Radio, DVD System, Auto Lights and Wipers, Climate Control,One Owner with FSH, 57000 Miles............................................................................£21495
£13495
2016 (16) VAUXHALL ASTRA SRi 1.0 Turbo 5 Dr in Black. Mobile App Interface, Cruise Control, 7” Touch Screen, Bluetooth, DAB Radio, Electric Windows & Mirrors, Alloys,Sports Mode, Only 36000 Miles with FSH. £20 A Year Road Fund Licence.............................................................£9495 2020 (20) VAUXHALL CORSA 1.2 SE 5 Dr in Met Grey, Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto, Cruise Control,Alloys,Lane Departure Warning, DAB Radio with 7” Touch Screen,Auto Headlights, Bluetooth, Air Con, One Owner, 28000 Miles with FSH........................................................................ £12595 2018 (68) CITROEN C3 AIRCROSS 1.2 PURETECH 110 FLAIR in Silver 6 Speed Manual, 7” Touch Screen, Sat Nav, Cruise Control with Speed Limiter, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, Electric Heated and Folding Mirrors, Electric Windows, Rear Parking Sensors, Alloys, Only 7800 Miles..........£14795
Fall in number of dazzled drivers involved in crashes
MORE traffic on the roads after lockdown helped cut fatalities where sun dazzle was a contributory factor, according to the AA.
Deaths dropped from 41 in 2020 to 19 last year, while the number of severe road casualties (KSIs – killed and seriously injured) barely dipped, from 496 in 2020 to 491 in 2021, according to the latest Department for Transport statistics.
The return of traffic to UK roads, while putting more vehicles back on the road, likely reduced the lethality of incidents by slowing traffic speeds and making road users more wary of encountering others and vehicles.
The return to work and school last year would also have reduced the number of vulnerable road users exercising during the day and therefore chances of a deadly collision, the AA said.
However, although a blinding sun is a contributory cause of fewer road casualties (3,900 to 4,000 each year between 2012 and 2014, now down to 2,397 in 2020 and 2,369 in 2021), it is still a factor for 3%, or one in 33, road casualties.
Glare, when the sun is low in the sky, is more likely to be a problem at this time of year.
With sunset moving into the rush-hour period, the AA is warning drivers to be equipped and alert to how they might respond if suddenly blinded.
Above all, if drivers are unsure that the road ahead is clear, they should slow down.
Sean Sidley, AA Patrol of the Year, said: “Glare, when the sun is low in the sky, is more likely to be a problem at this time of year.
“Always keep sunglasses within easy reach when driving.”
Ramblers on a walk through the countryside
Race is on to identify lost footpaths
EVIDENCE of forgotten footpaths is being sought by a Dorset group – and you could help in the search.
The Dorset Ramblers is calling on volunteers to help them track down evidence of ancient and lost paths, bridleways and rights of way.
They need people who know their way around a 100-year-old Ordnance Survey or parish map and who would enjoy looking at old railway or canal records or websites showing the location of former mills and other landmarks. All these things can help establish where former rights of way were, and how they were recorded.
“If you can find historical evidence to back up the fact that a pathway or bridleway once existed, you have a much stronger case,” explained Jan Wardell, footpath secretary for the Dorset Ramblers.
The project is part of a gargantuan effort to relocate and register England and Wales’s lost pathways and routes.
The Ramblers reckon there are more than 49,000 miles of these routes, which, in walking terms, is roughly twice round the earth – and they need to complete it by January 1, 2026.
After this date paths and bridleways that existed before 1949 but which are not recorded on definitive maps will be extinguished forever.
“It really started with the Countryside Act in 2001, when the government announced a cut-off date for adding routes to the definitive, which means the legal, map,” said Jan.
Initially, the government funded the discovery of the routes but after a while that ceased and, as time started to run out, the Ramblers launched their Don’t Lose Your Way campaign in 2018.
Routes can be lost for a variety of reasons, from falling into disuse, disappearing because of roads or changes to the original route, and some have been lost because of previous landowner action.
Volunteers in Dorset have already discovered 918 miles of long-lost routes – now they need more people to search for documentary evidence.
“You don’t even have to enjoy walking to do this, just enjoy being a bit of a detective with old documents and maps,” says Jan.
These documents are important because, say, a map showing a former mill may also indicate a public right of way to it used by the people who bought their flour for milling. A canal map may show a towpath that was created and used as a public thoroughfare.
Many of these documents and maps can be found online. Others, such as the ones in the Dorset Record Office, are on paper and must be inspected in person and others still will come from images derived from the National Archives at Kew.
Nationally, the Ramblers are developing tools and resources to help with the research. But they are also keen to get out a few messages, one of which is not encouraging people who think they’ve identified a former potential right of way to go and try and walk it.
A spokesperson said: “While many of the paths identified may be historical rights of way, they are not currently recorded on the legal map of rights of way, the definitive map, and some may have been legally extinguished in the past 120 years.
“Until they are recorded, we cannot guarantee they are public rights of way, and therefore we would not encourage you to go out and walk them.”
For the same reasons, it says, landowners and householders should not feel concern, about the campaign.
“The Ramblers do not want to claim lost rights of way going through buildings, including people’s houses,” said the spokesman. “Volunteers were asked to mark-up paths which appeared on historical maps and we recognise that some areas have seen a significant development in the last 120 years.
“We want to add paths to the map which will improve the network for all. Identifying a potential lost right of way is the start of the process and further research and consultation is required before the local authority confirms a right of way. In some cases it is possible and appropriate to apply for a diverted version of a historical route.”
To find out more or to help Jan Wardell and Dorset Ramblers contact the group nationally at ramblers.org.uk/ get-involved/campaign-with-us/ dont-lose-your-way.
