While designing a vehicle, a lot of factors are considered – from the surface it will be used on to how fast it will be driven and what kind of passenger/cargo load it will be operating with. While vehicles come with predetermined load limits, we constantly see these limits being overlooked and exceeded. We have all seen our share of overloaded trucks plying on the roads, listing to port, starboard and every other possible direction. The vehicle components that are most likely to suffer from overloading are the drivetrain (clutch burning or axle breaking is a pretty common occurrence), and suspension (the entire assembly can snap in half). However, the most critical components that overloading directly affects are the tyres.

Tyres are the only thing connecting a vehicle to the ground. Any kind of malfunction in those immediately renders the vehicle undrivable. The tyre pressure, recommended by the manufacturer, is a result of extensive testing and is directly related to the rated load capacity of the vehicle. An underinflated tyre has to deal with more friction and generates more heat as a result. The effect is identical for a correctly inflated tyre on an overloaded vehicle. As heat builds up, the air contained within the tyre expands, and soon breaches the threshold for the tyre, and in the worst case causes it to burst.

When a tyre bursts, the vehicle loses all stability due to the sudden rate of change in dynamics and therefore becomes impossible to control. The effect is exacerbated at higher speeds and usually results in a crash. Recently, a Pravaig Interceptor prototype suffered a similar fate during a demonstration, the alleged result of overloading. If this can happen to such a highly advanced vehicle that’s built to withstand a higher degree of abuse, we can only imagine how easy it is for civilian vehicles to suffer the consequences of overloading.

It is always prudent not to overload your vehicles under any circumstances, whatever the case may be. The time or money you save will mean nothing if a tragedy occurs, so only as much passenger and/or cargo a vehicle is designed to handle.

The post Overloading and its effect on tyres first appeared on Turbocharged.

Thane, 25^th November: HMSI considers safety of every individual as its priority. It has leveraged its expertise significantly to ensure every ride is safe. To enhance its people centric approach, HMSI recently held one of its road safety awareness campaigns in the city of Thane leaving a lasting impact on the participants. In the grounds of Saraswati Vidyalaya High School and Junior College of Science, HMSI achieved one of its milestones where it saw an active participation of more than 2500 school students and staff members. The innovative activities such as slogan writing, poster making contest, road safety quiz and article writing competition kept the participants engaged throughout the campaign leaving a lasting impact on the participants.

HMSI strongly believes that children are the future of this society and their awareness of road safety at an early stage can contribute to making the roads accident free. It frequently conducts road safety awareness programs that are interactive and engaging, catering to a wide range of age groups, from children to youth and are conducted in schools, colleges, government institutions, and non-governmental organizations. 

For 22 years, in the state of Maharashtra, HMSI has imparted education to over 3.7 lakhs adults and children, focusing on promoting responsible road usage and cultivating safe riding habits.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India’s CSR commitment towards Road Safety:

In the year 2021, Honda globally made a vision statement for the year 2050 where it will strive for zero traffic collision fatalities involving Honda motorcycles and automobiles. In India HMSI is working in line with this vision and the Government of India direction of reducing fatalities to half by 2030. 

One critical aspect of achieving this goal is inculcating a positive mindset towards road safety in our children by the year 2030 and continuing to educate them thereafter. Road safety education at schools and Colleges is not only to create awareness but to inculcate a safety culture in young minds and turn them to be the safety ambassador. It empowers future generations to become responsible and significantly contribute to a safer society. 

HMSI wants to be a company that Society wants to exist and is strongly focusing on Road safety awareness to all sections of society with unique ideas catering to each segment from school kids to Corporates and society at large.

HMSI’s set of skilled safety instructors conducts daily programs at our 10 adopted traffic training parks (TTP) across India and 6 Safety Driving Education Centers (SDEC) to make road safety education accessible to every part of society, and the initiative has already reached over 5.7 million Indians. HMSI’s National Road Safety Awareness program made learning fun yet scientific through: 

SCIENTIFICALLY DEVISED LEARNING MODULE: Honda’s skilled instructors set the foundation with theory sessions on road signs & markings, driver’s duties on road, riding gear & posture explanation and safe riding etiquettes.

1. PRACTICAL LEARNING: A special training activity on Honda’s virtual riding simulator was executed for all to experience over 100 possible dangers on road before actual riding.
2. INTERACTIVE SESSION: Participants were given danger prediction training known as Kiken Yosoku Training (KYT) which helps in enhancing rider/driver’s sensitivity to danger and ensures safe driving behaviour on roads.

EXISTING DRIVERS HONING RIDING SKILLS: Students & school staff members who are already existing riders tested & honed their riding skills through slow riding activities and riding on narrow planks.

The post A Successful Road Safety Awareness Campaign by Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India at Thane first appeared on Turbocharged.

Mumbai, October 16, 2023: Tata Motors today hosted a ‘Road Safety Hackathon’ to address India’s road safety challenges using digital solutions. The hackathon focused on generating innovative ideas that can be implemented smartly and digitally via collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

The hackathon was inaugurated by Mr. Jean Todt, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety. He shared valuable insights and experience on this subject from a global perspective, stimulating the discussion.

With the objective to create a safe and a secure environment for all individuals on the road, the Hackathon centred on various significant topics, including enhancing road infrastructure, effective enforcement measures, promoting connectivity and digital innovation, developing safer vehicles and fostering behavioural changes.

Committed to safety, Tata Motors continues to explore innovative ways to create practical solutions to make Indian roads safer, smarter and greener.

The post Jean Todt inaugurates Tata Motors’ Road Safety Hackathon first appeared on Turbocharged.