After correctly guessing harsh conditions for the previous two winters, long-range forecaster James Madden of Exacta Weather stressed: “It is vital to start preparing now.

“The UK is to brace itself for well below average temperatures and widespread heavy snowfall throughout winter 2011/2012, which will result in the fourth bad winter in succession for the UK, and will prove to be the worst of them all.

“I fully expect records to be broken with the Highlands of Scotland being once again particularly hard hit.”

Real taste of cold

Chris Hufflett, Group Operations Director at ATS Euromaster, is hoping motorists take heed of Mr Madden’s warning and order their cold weather tyres now.

“Last year, the UK had its first real taste of cold weather tyres and they quickly became hot property,” he said. “We could have sold our stock several times over.

“With the forecast of another bad winter on the cards, we’re confident our pre-ordering system will help car and van owners to guarantee supply and avoid the mad scramble to secure tyres when the wintry conditions return.”

ATS Euromaster is ordering in extra stock and opening its pre-order book from next Monday (20 June) so motorists can secure their Michelin, Pirelli, Avon or Riken cold weather tyres which ensure better grip, handling, cornering and reduced braking distances in the cold.

Nitrogen tyre inflation, air-conditioning recharging and regassing plus computerised wheel alignment are some of the services expected to be introduced as part of ATS’ spending as well as new alignment and diagnostics machines.

This latest investment comes after the nationwide garage chain splashed out £4m on service and network enhancements last year.

“The current economic climate has seen a strong trend for retail customers, privately owned business fleets and leasing companies to look at cost-effective alternatives to main dealers, and we are meeting this demand head-on,” said Chris Hufflett, Group Operations Director of ATS Euromaster.

“We believe our technical expertise and reputation for being trustworthy and reliable are fundamental to why customers keep returning to ATS Euromaster. 

“Expanding our technical capabilities, particularly in the SMR (service, maintenance and repair) market, is a key part of our business strategy.”

ATS’ 370 branches will also enjoy a facelift with new signage, decor and improved customer waiting areas.

Wheel Security: a best practice guide, is available from the Freight Transport Association (FTA) and will highlight to maintenance staff and drivers the tell-tale signs associated with poorly secured wheels and provide industry best practice linked to wheel maintenance.

The guide has been published by a working group comprising FTA, ATS Euromaster, IRTE (Institute of Road Transport Engineers) – a professional sector of SOE (Society of Operations Engineers) – and SITA UK Ltd.

Mark Forster, Fleet Compliance and Auditing Manager for SITA UK Ltd, said:
”It is important that organisations have a clearly defined wheel security procedure in place that has been comprehensively publicised to its drivers and service providers, and it is essential that all relevant personnel play their part in strictly adhering to that procedure.  The guide’s advice goes to the heart of road safety standards, therefore helping to protect a company’s O-licence.”

Martyn Edwards, Technical Service Advisor for ATS Euromaster, agreed:
“Effective wheel loss management requires robust processes ranging from drivers’ daily checks to comprehensive service provider training plans.  Maintenance staff must be correctly trained to recognise the signs of component wear and damage whilst fully understanding wheel re-fitment and re-torque procedures.”

Andy Mair, FTA’s Head of Engineering Policy, said:
“Wheel security is a serious issue for all commercial vehicle operators and this comprehensive guide, which is aimed at both maintenance staff and drivers, will help reduce the risk of wheel loosening, or worse still, wheel loss.”

Wheel Security: a best practice guide is available from Shopfta and IRTE at £3.00 and has been extensively issued to members of both organisations.  To order a copy go to www.shop.fta.co.uk or call Shopfta on 08717 11 11 11 or contact the IRTE technical department via email at technical@soe.org.uk or by calling 0207 630 1111.

Junior Braithwaite, Redditch Borough Council’s Fleet Manager, says: “With local authorities keeping a close watch on costs, we expect to make a range of savings that can be passed on to residents.

“Our fleet requires a complete range of specialist commercial vehicle and agricultural tyres which we can now purchase and have fitted whilst benefiting from the combined buying power of the OGC. Working with our partners ATS Euromaster and Michelin, it will ensure that all of our tyres are correctly specified and maintained to the highest standard.”

The new framework agreement is open to all PSOs across the UK, including the NHS, Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs, Fire and Rescue Services, Ambulance Trusts, Her Majesty’s Prison Service and more than 600 local authorities. It has been set up to deliver significant efficiencies as a result of combined volumes, additional leverage and collaborative working between central government departments and wider public bodies nationwide.

“In our opinion ATS Euromaster and Michelin not only offer best value for the taxpayer, but also deliver a round-the-clock response service using a nationwide network of branches and fleet of mobile service vans. It is especially reassuring that council staff are never more than a few minutes from assistance anywhere within our council boundaries.

“On the few occasions when we have required a mobile service van to attend either a depot or the roadside, the vehicle in question has been turned around and back on the road quickly – delivering a much improved service for us,” adds Braithwaite.

Available at any of ATS Euromaster’s 450 service centres across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the no-obligation inspections are designed to identify issues which could pose an increased safety or reliability issue, especially on long, high-speed motorway journeys.

Suitable for any make, model and age of car, including both private and company-owned vehicles, the health checks take approximately fifteen minutes and there is no need to book.  Each inspection covers tyre tread depth, condition and pressure, as well as including visual inspections of front brakes, battery, exhaust and shock absorbers, with a written report issued to drivers on completion; and best of all, it’s free.

Chris Hufflett, Group Operations Director at ATS Euromaster, says:  “With travel pundits warning less people will be jetting off this summer, it is widely anticipated that more families will be packing up their cars and enjoying lower cost holidays around the British Isles.”

“For these holidaymakers the last thing they want is to break down at the side of the road with a car full of excited kids and a boot jam-packed with luggage.  On a hot summer’s day it can be a miserable, not to mention dangerous, experience and one which can often be avoided by letting a professional spend a few moments checking your car before you set off,” he adds.

According to the RAC, in 2007 the single top cause of breakdowns was a puncture (culminating in over 200,000 call-outs), followed by a flat battery.  Battery and tyre related issues jointly accounted for 30 per cent of the 2.8 million breakdowns they attended, with battery-related issues blamed for 18 per cent and tyre-related problems 12 per cent.  Furthermore, 76 per cent of RAC patrols surveyed for the Breakdown Britain Report 2008 claimed to have seen an upturn in damaged tyres on members vehicles.

To help prevent the risk of a breakdown, each ATS Euromaster health check pays special attention to the tyres, which are the only part of a vehicle in direct contact with the road’s surface.  This includes ensuring all four tyres (plus the spare, if applicable) are in good condition, have enough tread remaining and are correctly inflated.  These steps are essential for the safety of all road users – and especially so for cars which are likely to be carrying a heavier load than normal.

ATS Euromaster’s free summer health check comes at a time when more Brits are expected to holiday on home soil due to the combined effects of the recession and the Pound’s decreased value against the Euro and Dollar.  This shift in travel trends means tens of thousands more cars are likely to be clocking-up holiday miles around the UK rather than spending a fortnight parked in long-stay airport car parks.

For free expert advice on any tyre-related or fast-fit issues, motorists are invited to contact their local ATS Euromaster centre by calling 0800 601060, texting ‘tyres’ to 83332 or visiting www.atseuromaster.co.uk

Family cars jammed with people, suitcases and pets are expected to peak in the last week of July, once schools break-up, with ATS Euromaster warning that few drivers are likely to have adjusted their tyre pressures to suit the additional weight their cars are carrying.

Chris Hufflett, Group Operations Director for ATS Euromaster, which has 460 automotive fast-fit centres across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, says: “If you are carrying a full load of passengers with luggage or will be towing a caravan or trailer, tyre pressures must be increased in line with the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations.  It’s a simple five minute job, but from our experience, the majority of drivers don’t bother.

“Few people realise that it is the air inside a tyre which carries the weight of the vehicle and its load, not the tyre itself, hence nearly every car has two recommended pressure settings – one for ‘normal’ use and a higher figure for full loads.  Driving a fully laden car on tyres inflated to the normal setting will severely compromise handling and mean stopping distances increase dramatically.  It will also see tyre wear rise and punctures will be more likely,” he warns.

Adjusting tyre pressures is a simple job using your own pressure gauge and compressor.  ATS Euromaster is also happy to check and adjust pressures at any of its centres nationwide, as part of its no-obligation free vehicle health checks which are strongly advised prior to any long distance journey.

To find the correct pressure for your tyres, motorists should check the vehicle handbook – in some cars pressures are also displayed on a sticker inside the fuel filler flap or driver’s door.  Pressures should be checked when the tyre is cold, such as when the vehicle has been driven less than a mile or at least an hour after driving.  It is essential that pressures are re-set to the normal setting at the end of the trip.

For free expert advice on any tyre-related or fast-fit issues, motorists are invited to contact their local ATS Euromaster centre by calling 0800 601060, texting ‘tyres’ to 83332 or visiting www.atseuromaster.co.uk

Designed to guard against unnecessary breakdowns, the no-obligation inspections are available at any of ATS Euromaster’s 490 service centres across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The vehicle health checks are suitable for any make, model and age of car or van, including both private and company-owned vehicles, and takes just fifteen minutes (there is no need to book).  The inspection covers tyre tread depth, tyre condition, tyre pressure and includes visual inspections of front brakes, battery, exhaust and shock absorbers, with a written report issued to drivers on completion.

Commenting on the free service, Vince McGurk, Group Operations Director at ATS Euromaster, says: “Breakdowns nearly double when the cold weather sets in, but with a little pre-winter preparation drivers can ensure their cars are in tip-top condition.  What’s more, spending a few minutes sorting out issues now usually proves cheaper and more convenient than trying to rectify the problem when your car won’t start on a cold winter’s morning.”

“The onset of winter also sees the number of road traffic accidents peak, as drivers struggle for grip on snow and ice-covered roads.  This makes it essential to ensure that tyres are properly inflated and have plenty of remaining tread, as they are the only part of a vehicle in direct contact with the road’s surface.  For cars without run-flat tyres, a good condition spare in the boot is also essential for emergencies,” he adds.

Last winter ATS Euromaster technicians carried out thousands of free vehicle health checks and provided valuable advice to motorists in preparation for the colder months.  The most commonly found defects were under-inflated tyres and tyres with less than 1.6mm of tread remaining (the legal limit – although in line with many car manufacturers, ATS Euromaster recommend replacing at 3mm).

To complement its vehicle health checks, ATS Euromaster is also advising motorists to ensure they are prepared for possible delays and emergencies on the roads this winter, by carrying the following items in their vehicles:

ATS Euromaster winter motoring checklist

1. De-icer spray / ice scraper
2. First aid kit
3. Winter coat / blanket
4. Sturdy shoes (e.g. boots)
5. Torch and spare batteries
6. Warning triangle, jump leads and tow rope
7. Road atlas / satellite navigation unit
8. Hands-free mobile phone
9. Shovel
10. Soft drink and snack (in case of long delays)