ATMA reaches out to women with message of tyre safety

On the occasion of International Women's Day, the tyre industry, represented by the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association (ATMA) reached out to women urging them to take care of the tyres for safety and comfort of their families on the roads.

"Without sounding stereotypical, women are synonymous with taking care of the families and are often the prime movers behind safety, health and happiness of the family members. Since tyres play such a critical role in safety and comfort, we thought of reaching out to women with a view to spread the message of tyre safety to entire families," said Rajiv Budhraja, Director General ATMA.

Under the campaign, women ambassadors of ATMA branched out in the capital, meeting women at busy market places, parking lots, metro stations and other public places. Specially designed Tyre Safety booklets were explained and distributed.

Women, in particular, women motorists welcomed the initiative to create awareness and found the occasion to be most appropriate. Especially the response from young women drivers was highly encouraging. "What better way to celebrate Women's Day than by sensitising us to such softer aspects as safety", said a woman motorist.

"Tyre is the only part of a vehicle which comes in contact with the road. Hence it is important to regularly maintain tyres. Well maintained tyres are life savers on the roads while worn out or badly maintained tyres are a safety hazard. As a responsible citizen, tyre industry has been creating awareness on tyre care and safety through several campaigns," added Budhraja.

In a series of Tyre Safety campaigns over one year, more than 100 service engineers from ATMA member companies carried out safety checks covering over 22000 tyres across New Delhi, Chennai, Mysore, Chandigarh and Greater Noida. The survey found that over 60 percent of the cars do not have properly maintained tyre pressure which undermines safety and fuel efficiency.

ATMA members which have been participating in Tyre Safety campaigns include Apollo Tyres, Birla Tyres, Bridgestone India, CEAT, Continental India, Goodyear India, JK Tyre & Industries, Michelin, MRF, TVS Tyres and Yokohama.

ATMA is amongst the most active national industry bodies in the country representing Rs 55000 crore (USD 8 billion) automotive tyre industry. Eleven large tyre companies comprising mix of Indian and International tyre majors and representing over 90 percent of production of tyres in India are members of the Association.

ATMA members include Apollo Tyres, Birla Tyres, Bridgestone India, Ceat, Continental India, Goodyear India, JK Tyre & Industries, Michelin, MRF, TVS Tyres and Yokohama.