PROTECT YOUR FLEET FROM BUSINESS MELTDOWN, SAYS ATS EUROMASTER
10 September 2013
ATS Euromaster expects its total cold weather tyre sales to exceed £10million in 2013 as the popularity of seasonal fitments for cars and vans continues to grow – driven largely by growth in the fleet sector during the last four years.
With the beginning of autumn just 12 days away, the tyre expert says businesses which plan ahead can protect themselves from the risk of snow and ice stopping staff from getting to work or keeping a sales force or delivery drivers off the road.
As part of its preparation, ATS Euromaster is taking delivery of tens of thousands of cold weather fitments to ensure its centres are ready to meet demand from businesses eager to switch to winter rubber before the temperatures begin to drop.
ATS Euromaster’s latest annual Winter Weather Study analysed temperatures in 10 major UK cities stretching from London to Aberdeen, and found that temperatures dropped below seven degrees Celsius during prime commuting hours on an average of 15 days in October 2012, rising to 30 days in March 2013.
Peter Fairlie, Group Sales Director of ATS Euromaster, says: “After a summer which has seen temperatures peaking in the mid-30s, it’s hard to imagine that we could be just weeks away from temperatures starting to plummet. Unfortunately, that’s a reality we must get used to given our changing climate in the UK.”
ATS Euromaster’s winter warning follows a prolonged period last year which saw just nine days between October 2012 and March 2013 when cold weather tyres wouldn’t have made driving safer in at least one of the 10 major cities studied.
Looking ahead to winter 2013/14, ATS Euromaster is encouraging fleets keen to experience the benefit of cold weather tyres to consider their requirements and place orders as soon as possible.
“There’s a reason why the early adopters of winter tyres continue to switch tyres each year,” adds Fairlie. “Savvy fleet managers have measured the additional investment against the improved mobility, reduced accident damage, increased tyre life and positive driver feedback. Once you’ve driven a car or van on winter tyres in adverse weather conditions, you don’t want to be without them.”
ATS Euromaster offers a full range of budget, mid-range and premium cold weather tyres, backed up by in-house tyre hotels to store ‘out-of-season’ tyres.
The direct benefits of cold weather tyres start as soon as the temperature drops below seven degrees Celsius, when the performance of regular ‘summer’ tyres deteriorates. As a result of the cold, the rubber becomes harder and less ‘elastic’. This means that the tyres suffer from reduced grip and braking ability, and offer a less comfortable ride.
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About ATS Euromaster
Birmingham-based ATS Euromaster Ltd is part of the Euromaster Group, which operates in 17 European countries with 11,271 employees in more than 2,000 service centres. Established in Great Britain since 1965, ATS Euromaster has approximately 350 centres (a mixture of retail, comprehensive and truck locations), approximately 900 mobile service vans and employs in excess of 2,600 people, providing coverage nationwide. It is the largest comprehensive tyre distributor supplying tyres for everything from cars and vans to trucks, coaches, forklifts, farm machinery and construction plant. ATS Euromaster was the first national tyre expert to be accredited by both SAFEContractor and the Contractors Health and Safety Scheme (CHAS), and also holds the Silver Award for Occupational Health & Safety from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. The company’s technicians are amongst the most highly trained in the fast-fit industry, offering a comprehensive range of products and services including tyres, wheels, fleet inspections, nitrogen inflation, brakes, batteries, shock absorbers, oil, exhausts, fault diagnostics, air-conditioning servicing, scheduled maintenance servicing and MOT testing. Further information is available from www.atseuromaster.co.uk
Note to editor: For press information please contact Faye McBride or James Keeler on 020 8647 4467.
ATS/477/13
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