April 14, 2008 We like this – it’s a patented new device which makes it easier for commercial vehicle operators to efficiently check the tyre pressures of their fleet. The P-eye monitoring device replaces the tyre valve cap and monitors the preset minimum tyre pressure. If the tyre pressure drops more than 5 per cent below the ideal pressure the LED lamp starts blinking and the trucker can top up the pressure when he stops next.
A quick visual check of any vehicle fitted with the P-eye enables an operator to check their tyres are all correctly inflated, so the system is safer than manual checks, and more cost-efficient in every way – Firstly, it is not necessary to check every single tyre, as action is only necessary on tyres where the LEDs are blinking.
Beyond that, under-inflated tyres have a greater resistance, and hence burn more petrol and money and emit more gunk into the atmosphere we’re supposed to breathe.
Statistically it has been found that approximately a quarter of all commercial vehicle tyres are not sufficiently inflated. This increases wear by about 15 to 20 per cent. Practically all blowouts and resulting accidents are caused by a tyre pressure that is too low.
The investment per tyre amounts to UKP20 to fit the device, and UKP22 for an anti theft version. Given the ease with which an entrepreneurial rascal might liberate UKP200-500 from an unattended big multi-axle vehicle inside a minute or two, might we recommend the anti-theft version. It also got us thinking that the anti-theft version might not be that safe either, given there’s a common tool for removing the cap.
Will the P-eye save money? If you take into account the time required to check a truck’s tyres manually, it will save the driver time and/or ensure he does it correctly. There’s a safety consideration too which is hard to quantify.
Given tyre wear and running cost considerations, and less likelihood the truck will need to stop to change tyres, plus the fact that the P-eye is transferable from tyre to tyre, it probably makes ROI viability.
The P-eye is a new product from T-Comm Tracking & Tracing of The Netherlands which sells comprehensive vehicle tracking and tracing system, aimed at semi-trailers. The company’s design philosophy is of “Easy Intelligence” and they offer a range of modules that can be coupled to their system