Michelin Tyre Pressure Management System Light Fleet has been installed on 90 Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust emergency vehicles after proving its worth during extensive trials earlier this year.
The new technology helps fleet operators and drivers keep on top of tyre pressures, cutting the risks under-inflation can cause – including reduced steering sensitivity, aquaplaning, reduced endurance, blowouts and poor fuel efficiency.
Michelin TPMS Light Fleet is one of the only kits available that also works well on vehicles with six tyres.
Rob MacIntosh, Fleet Manager at Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said the system is being rolled out across the fleet of more than 600 vehicles because of its versatility.
“Our ambulances have twin rear wheels and we have had issues with punctures on an inside tyre where drivers are not able to easily check them.
“The new system has so far detected two punctures on an inside tyre and it immediately alerted the driver – so it’s already doing its job.”
Michelin TPMS Light Fleet is a retrofit system suitable for use on all makes of car, 4×4, LCV, small trailer and light plant operating on tyres with pressures from 22 – 86 psi.
Its robust TPMS sensors replace traditional valve caps and auto-pair with a small solar-powered windscreen display to alert the driver of any tyres in distress through loss of pressure, fast leakage or an increase in temperature – often the sign of an impending tyre blowout.
It also includes a contactless tyre pressure checker which displays the exact pressure via the digital readout without the hassle of connecting a pressure gauge to the valve, which removes air and is unhygienic – ideal for Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust’s drivers and paramedics.
The Welsh Ambulance Service initially had some reservations around accuracy of pressure readings but testing it against its own systems demonstrated Michelin TPMS Light Fleet was spot on.
The display unit provides early low-pressure warnings via a flashing icon every 20 seconds as soon as a tyre becomes under-inflated by 15 per cent – before most standard vehicle TPMS systems have even detected an issue. An audible alert is added when the pressure either drops by 25 per cent, or should the tyre be over-inflated by 35 per cent or more.
For fast leakage (at least 2 psi per minute), all icons flash in addition to a beeping alarm, alerting the driver to pull over. A flashing light on the relevant TPMS sensor will then indicate the affected tyre position, allowing the tyre to be re-inflated. Once completed, the receiver reverts to reporting mode.
Wheely-Safe is an official global licensee of Michelin and will launch a combined system for heavy commercials later this year which alerts to the problems of wheel loss, brake/hub overheating and tyre under-inflation.
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Notes to editor:
Wheely-Safe Ltd is a technology start-up founded in 2010 by two lifelong friends – Gary Thomas, a Director of his own transport compliance consultancy, and Gary Broadfield, a Director of Technology and serial inventor for a large Japanese electronics manufacturer. Together they brought the marriage of skills required to help solve wheel loss issues in the automotive sector. The early years of Wheely-Safe have concentrated on attaining worldwide patent protection and technology small enough to fit near the wheels of all vehicle types, from cars to trucks and trailers, plus launching a retail product for the car market. 2018 will see Wheely-Safe launch its next-generation products for the fleet sector, including products for cars, vans, buses, coaches, trucks and trailers. www.wheely-safe.com
For further press information please contact:
Ian Collier at Garnett Keeler PR on 020 8647 4467 or by email to ian.collier@garnettkeeler.com
WS/006/18
