Midlands invention to help motor racing teams

Experts at Goodyear Dunlop in Birmingham have invented a tyre sensor that tells motor racing teams when it's time to change the tyres.

The Radio Frequency Identification Tag lets teams know how many miles a tyre has done during a race.

This tells the pit when it's time to change the tyres - for safety reasons - and for optimum performance.

The tag - measuring just five millimetres - is embedded is the side of the tyre.

Sensors in the pit lane detect the tag as the car drives through - a bit like a barcode - and transmits the vital information to the pit lane teams.

It's been invented by the Dunlop Motorsport branch of Goodyear Dunlop, based near Fort Dunlop alongside the M6 near Birmingham.

The tag is being used on all tyres on cars in the British Touring Car Championship and could soon be used most motor sport events.

The firm is now being offered to businesses. Haulage firms, which use thousands of tyres a year, can use it to monitor how many miles a tyre has done.

This not only tells the haulier when it needs to change a tyre but also makes the vehicle more fuel efficient if it's running on properly inflated and treaded tyres.