Michelin licencee offers 'affordable' TPMS technology

Burntwood, UK – Michelin licencee and a UK supplier of tire pressure monitoring systems, Fit2Go TPMS has launched an 'affordable' device for monitoring pressure levels in tires.

Michelin Pressure Checker works by fitting a small near field communication (NFC) enabled pressure sensor to replace the valve cap on each tire. 

To get a reading, the driver holds a pressure checking tool against the sensor, and the pressure is shown on a backlit digital display, the company said in a statement ahead of the UK road safety week (18-24 Nov).

The device is accurate to within 1.5 psi, according to Fit2Go. 

The sensors are run without a battery and can be recharged via the supplied USB cable.

Citing the latest figures given by the UK department of transport, Fit2Go said illegal, defective or under-inflated tires contributed to 2,288 reported car accidents on UK roads between 2014 and 2018.

A separate survey of more than 1,000 new drivers carried out by FirstCar, in conjunction with Arval, ATS Euromaster and Michelin, found 29% had never checked their tire pressures – with 45% of those admitting they didn’t know how to.

Of those who had checked their tire pressures, just over half claimed to do so weekly or monthly.

Some 17% of the participants admitted that they only checked their tires quarterly, while 13% said they would do so when the tires ‘look low’. Some 11% would check their tire pressure when advised to do so by someone else.