Much to the irritation of trade and road safety bodies, including the IAAF, the much discussed MoT proposals are missing from the latest government plans, issued as a result of the Road Transport Red Tape Challenge.

IAAF chief executive Brian Spratt commented, “Although we received the statement on the outcomes of the recent Red Tape Challenge review before Christmas as promised, the fact that the much awaited MoT review has been left out is both surprising and frustrating. This delay is causing a great deal of disquiet across the motoring world; road safety interests, environmentalists, motorists, fleet operators and the trade in general all have grave concerns. There are also many businesses that have been forced to put their plans on hold, so this continuing delay is extremely disruptive.”

Mr. Spratt pointed out that the DfT’s documents issued as part of their Red Tape Challenge announcement showed that more than nine out of ten people who responded to the Government’s own “red-tape challenge” and who raised the MOT issue, opposed proposals to reduce testing frequency.

November 2012 will see the Introduction of a standardised tyre label by the European Union. The goal of the EU Tyre Label is to promote low emissions and better road safety, with standardised information focusing on three key criteria: fuel efficiency, wet grip and external rolling noise.

Intended to give consumers essential information to help them when choosing new tyres, the EU Label will be given values from A-G, excluding D to avoid an average performing tyre.

Wet braking will be a crucial element highlighted on the EU Label. Vehicles with tyres from Class A stop in the shortest distance from 50mph, whilst tyres from Class B take an additional 3-6 metres. This trend continues for the subsequent values and results in an increase in braking distance of over 18 metres from a vehicle in Class A to Class F. It is key that this crucial safety value appears on the label to enable the motorist to have a fuller picture of the tyres performance. A label that only highlighted rolling resistance and noise could give a false impression of the tyres performance. For wet braking Categories D and G are not used so any tyre with longer stopping distances in the wet will be rated as E or F.

New independent research by the automotive aftermarket industry experts, Encircle Marketing, has revealed that Pirelli was the most recommended tyre brand of the past year, for the second year running.

The analysis, which continuously monitors brand recommendations in the market, has found that Pirelli came top in 2011 with 6.7 per cent of all recommendations.

Dominic Sandivasci, Managing Director of Pirelli UK, was delighted with the result and keen to recognise the team’s hard work in ensuring that Pirelli products are the most desired in the market.

He commented: “Results like this are extremely important to us at Pirelli. Our premium reputation is built upon high levels of customer satisfaction and the fact that our brand is spreading through word of mouth is fantastic for our growth. We have to thank everyone who works at Pirelli for playing their part in developing and selling superb products, as well as offering such a high level of customer service.”

Tyres from Japanese manufacturer Yokohama have long been renowned for performance and safety under all conditions. The marque’s expertise and reputation is also available to the light commercial market, with a range of three patterns aimed at van drivers across all conditions and circumstances.

First in the commercial range is the RY818 tyre. Aimed predominantly at the urban delivery user, it features a flat tread pattern to maintain grip and safety under all vehicle load conditions while the design ensures exceptional water clearance in wet weather.

Its construction means that it will withstand the daily rigours of multiple deliveries, with its specially-designed kerbing rib protecting against sidewall damage, as well as resisting wear and generating long life and hence, value for money.

The Y354 is intended for vehicles carrying out longer journeys and in a variety of conditions. It is classed as an ‘All Season’ tyre, meaning that it will cope with all extremes of weather, so the operator can continue working come rain or shine. With its M+S and Snowflake markings, it is ready for all possible winter conditions.

It’s a case of game, set and match for one of Britain’s most popular tyre brands, which has served up an ace in brand awareness through the Australian Open tennis tournament sponsorship.

Maxxis is making a racket in Melbourne after putting its name next to Federer, Nadal and Murray in a high profile courtside partnership.  It is the second time that the company has sponsored the grand slam event, which is hotting up ahead of this weekend’s finals.

Maxxis has a proud tradition of sponsoring some of the world’s biggest sporting events and teams, including the New York Yankees, Liverpool Football Club and a host of high profile motorsport series.

And, by maintaining a presence inside the prestigious Rod Laver Arena for the first tennis ‘major’ of 2012, Maxxis believes that it has found the perfect platform to reach out to thousands of fans - both inside and outside court.

Continental has won a coveted tyre test from the UK’s monthly car magazine, evo. The ContiSportContact3 took top spot in this year’s performance tyre test, announced in the February edition of the title.

For its third year, the evo performance tyre test highlights exceptional performance across areas such as wet and dry handling, aquaplaning and braking. Seen within the motoring industry as a stamp of approval for the best performance tyre, evo described Continental’s win as ‘an impressively complete performance’.

Fitted across a wide range of models throughout the market, evo tested the 235/40 R18 from a range of competitor brands, with the majority of testing taking place at the extensive facilities of the MIRA proving ground.

The title praised the Continental’s abilities across areas such as wet handling and braking, taking top spot in both categories. On Continental’s wet handling evo commented; “‘Masterful’, we said of the Continental. There were some great performances on the wet circuit but the Conti still stood out, setting the fastest lap time, recording the highest lateral G, and scoring the highest subjective mark, too-it wasn’t bettered.”

Tyre manufacturer Maxxis is celebrating another successful Autosport International, after performance car enthusiasts gravitated to its stand throughout the four-day show and what began as very positive feedback was translated into genuine sales enquiries.

Maxxis International UK’s managing director Derek McMartin says: “During our first visit to Autosport International last year our aim was to generate greater awareness by telling people all about the Maxxis brand. 

“This time, alongside the more familiar Maxxis car, van, 4x4 and motorcycle tyres, we showcased a number of our specialist sports products, which are competition proven in racing and rally series throughout Asia and South America, to help get across the fact that there is a Maxxis tyre for practically every automotive application.

“This approach meant we needed a major presence at the show and we are delighted that the inherent demand we witnessed has translated into sales opportunities, which we are now busy following up.”

Midlands-based Acorns Children’s Hospice has been named as Bridgestone UK’s chosen charity for 2012.  Throughout the year the company will be hosting a series of fundraising events including a monthly ‘Dress Down Friday’ day in aid of Acorns Children’s Hospice.

Established in 1988, the charity offers a care for terminally ill youngsters and their families, across the Midlands. Acorns provides tailored nursing, emergency care and short breaks for the children at each of its three hospices across the region as well as continual support for their families from its highly trained Community Team.

Paul Lawrie, Human Resources Director at Bridgestone UK, said:  “Supporting such as worthy cause is very close to many of our hearts within Bridgestone, and being based in the Midlands, it felt right we should support a local charity this year. In 2011 we raised more than £5,000 for our charity, we’re hoping to go beyond that this year.”

Goodyear Dunlop is pleased to announce new appointments for two of their senior managers within the Commercial division. The appointments of Bob Mason and Craig Sprigmore are in line with Goodyear Dunlop’s intention to improve consistency across the nationwide TruckForce network. The aim is to improve communication and streamline current procedures.

Bob and Craig are currently Regional Business Managers for Goodyear Dunlop’s TruckForce network.

Bob is appointed to TruckForce Business Manager for the entire UK hub network and Craig is appointed Customer Strategy Manager, replacing Marc Preedy, following his appointment to Commercial Director.

As part of this change, three TruckForce Hub Managers and one Business Development Manager will take on additional responsibilities to support Bob in his new role. The outcome of these appointments will see customers having one dedicated point of contact

Southampton based alignment specialist Supertrackers ongoing success has been centred around a competitive mixture of speed and efficiency regarding quality wheel alignments.

Now this impressive trading pedigree has been firmly endorsed by Supertracker providing its customers with an accurate alignment in just ‘59 Seconds’ with its latest STR410 machine. This amazing performance can now be viewed either on the company website (www.supertracker.com) or YouTube.

The Supertracker STR 410 aligner offers a number of innovative features including SST technology which permits the steering wheel to be set correctly on every application.

“At Infinity we understand the importance of a tyre for the safety and comfort of a vehicle. Given that a tyre is the only part of your van which is in constant contact with the road, your choice of tyres will ensure that you drive safely and comfortably at all times.

Whether your vehicle is large or small, at Infinity Tyres we always try to meet and even excel our client’s expectations and needs. And our clients only want the best tyres. That is why the INF-100 is the best choice for your van.

“This model was created using Infinity’s EFFE (Eco-Friendly Fuel-Efficient) technology to ensure that it is as safe as it is ecologically sound. The INF-100 also benefits from the use of Infinity’s Infinity’s Advanced Comfort Control Construction techniques, which have engineered a van tyre offering balance, economy, comfort and enhanced road traction.

“Dovetailing the block arrangement, the pattern sequence, and the groove configuration ensures that the INF-100 excels at delivering great comfort, excellent response and increased reliability in all conditions for your van or small commercial vehicle.

At Infinity we are constantly improving our tyres and we expect to be introducing new patterns later in the year.”

Transway is a true ‘workhorse’ of a tyre designed to keep busy van drivers on the move safely.

Designed using our advanced simulation model, it offers increased traction, decreased braking distances on both dry but especially wet road surfaces. The improved handling and fuel economy make it an excellent choice for fleet companies as well as individual drivers. The numerous sipes and grooves on the tread and the new S-shaped bead filler profile, improve ride comfort even on the poorest of road surfaces. Transway has a very strong casing construction, which ensures good mileage and resistance to kerbing and potholes