TyreSafe has entered into a partnership with RED Driver Training, one of the UK’s leading driving schools, as its first dedicated driving school supporter.

TyreSafe's goal to increase road safety, especially for new drivers starting their adventures as road users, has reached a major milestone with this partnership. In order to promote lifetime habits that lead to safer roads, TyreSafe hopes to increase its efforts to teach new drivers the value of tyre safety and maintenance by collaborating with RED.

By providing thorough driving instruction throughout the UK through a robust network of RED franchised driving instructors, RED Driver Training plays a crucial part in helping thousands of students annually get their driving licenses. RED offers advanced driving experiences in addition to training, such as their well-liked ‘skidpan’ sessions, which assist new drivers in successfully navigating hazardous situations. In order to guarantee that students have the information and abilities necessary to drive safely and responsibly, they also assist them with a dedicated theory and practical test preparation app.

Stuart Lovatt, Chair of TyreSafe, said “We are thrilled to partner with RED Driver Training, an organisation that shares our commitment to road safety and education. New drivers are at a crucial stage in forming safe driving habits, and through this partnership, we have an incredible opportunity to instil the importance of tyre safety from the very beginning of their journey on the roads. Together, we hope to create a generation of drivers who understand the vital role tyres play in road safety.”

Colin Paterson, Head of Marketing at RED Driver Training, said “At RED, our goal is to equip new drivers with the skills, confidence and knowledge to stay safe on the roads, and tyre safety is an integral part of that. Joining forces with TyreSafe allows us to enhance our offering and emphasise the critical role tyres play in keeping drivers and passengers safe. We’re proud to be TyreSafe’s first driving ‘school’ supporter and look forward to working together to make a real difference. Our ‘Learn to Drive with RED’ app makes us more than just a normal driving school, and in co-operation with TyreSafe, we are keen to explore the creation of collaborative video content and more.”

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The German Rubber Industry Association (wdk) has urged policymakers in Berlin and Brussels to give the rubber sector a more prominent role in industrial, security and raw materials strategy. Speaking at the association's autumn conference in Frankfurt am Main before roughly 200 company representatives, wdk President Michael Klein argued that rubber serves not only mobility but also security and defence.

Elastomer products such as seals, hoses, membranes and vibration dampers are essential to the operation of modern industrial plants as well as military vehicles, aircraft and logistics infrastructure. Though frequently overlooked, their failure can cripple entire technical systems. Klein therefore called for the rubber industry to be included in security and defence planning at an early stage, particularly regarding the safeguarding of production capacity, raw material supplies and technological know-how. He described industrial resilience as an integral part of national resilience, warning that capabilities not maintained in peacetime cannot be restored quickly during a crisis.

The wdk identifies raw material supply as a pressing concern, contending that Germany and Europe need an independent rubber raw materials strategy covering both civilian and military crisis preparedness. Such a strategy would entail long-term, diversified supplier relationships, strategic reserves of critical raw materials and intermediate goods and the preservation of European processing and blending capacity.

Klein also renewed calls for a sustained improvement in industrial location conditions, citing competitive energy prices, faster permitting, meaningful reductions in bureaucracy and dependable investment frameworks as prerequisites for retaining industrial value creation in Germany. He stressed that economic growth stems from trust rather than regulation.

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The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company closes its FIA World Endurance Championship campaign this weekend as the 6 Hours of Monza returns, marking the final race for the current Goodyear Racing Eagle LMGT3 tyre specification. Although the Milan-area circuit has appeared on the WEC calendar before, this is its debut in the LMGT3 era, and the November scheduling should deliver markedly cooler conditions than the series encountered during its July 2023 visit to the circuit known as ‘The Temple of Speed’.

Designed for swift warmup, the Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium compound should give professional and amateur drivers alike the assurance to push hard immediately upon leaving the pit lane despite lower temperatures. The layout's long straights and tight chicanes echo Le Mans, and Goodyear engineers have leaned on prior experience at Spa-Francorchamps and Silverstone to ready for the colder weather. Every LMGT3 team will have a designated Goodyear track support engineer on hand to advise on setup and race strategy across the weekend.

Single-stint tyre strategies are expected to be popular, mirroring last month's 6 Hours of Barcelona. If rain falls, the wide transition window of both the slick and wet tyres could open up intriguing strategic options on a drying surface. Beyond closing the third LMGT3 season in WEC, the weekend marks the last appearance of the current Racing Eagle slick and wet tyres; from next season, LMGT3 cars in WEC and the European Le Mans Series will race on new-specification tyres containing 66 percent sustainable material.

Across the Atlantic, Goodyear Racing Eagles will also be in action this weekend in the NASCAR Championship Races at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In addition, the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series wraps up next weekend at Pomona Dragstrip.

Stephen Bickley, Goodyear Endurance Program Manager, said, “Monza presents an interesting challenge to round out a competitive WEC season, particularly with the cooler conditions we expect at this time of year. Getting tyres up to temperature quickly will be important, but the fast warmup characteristics of our Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium should give drivers the confidence they need from the start of each stint. This weekend is a significant milestone for Goodyear as we conclude three seasons with our current LMGT3 tyre specification. After last month’s 6 Hours of Barcelona, teams have started testing our new tyres, which we’re looking forward to seeing in racing action next year.”

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Kuraray America, Inc. is commemorating 10 years of production at its Bayport facility, a milestone shaped by a workforce assembled from widely differing backgrounds. Since operations commenced in 2016, the site has drawn staff from the oil and gas sector, from other Kuraray America locations and from Kuraray Group operations in Singapore and Japan as expatriates. That blend of experience and perspective formed the groundwork on which the site was built.

Across its first decade, Bayport has delivered enduring value to the company and its customers, powered by employees who gave their time, passed on expertise, assisted colleagues and helped steer the site towards success. The occasion gains further meaning from its proximity to the Kuraray Group's 100th anniversary in June 2026.

Kuraray America thanked the employees and customers whose backing sustained Bayport through its opening decade and will remain crucial going forward. Jacqueline Unzueta received special mention for leading the anniversary event's coordination, while Hans Vandommele, Charles Neal, Nelson Rodriguez, Takehiro Kanno and Frank Taylor were also recognised in connection with the celebration. The company affirmed its commitment to carrying forward the teamwork, expertise and shared purpose that have characterised Bayport's first 10 years.

Reflecting on the site's growth and his own professional journey, Raymond Myska, Plant Manager at Kuraray America's Bayport site, said, "My own journey at Bayport began in 2017. I joined as Maintenance Manager, and in 2025, I had the privilege of stepping into the role of Plant Manager. Although I wasn't here when the doors first opened, I've had the opportunity to grow alongside this team, witness how far we've come and contribute to the success stories we're celebrating today."

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TyreSafe, UK’s leading tyre safety charity, has joined forces with Dudley Council Trading Standards for an enforcement operation targeting part-worn tyre retailers, with support from West Midlands Police. Unannounced audits followed earlier advisory visits during which traders had already received guidance on statutory obligations. Nonetheless, every business inspected failed to meet basic safety and legal standards, producing a 100 percent non-compliance rate.

The inspections exposed a range of serious breaches, including dangerous illegal string repairs, punctures in sidewall and shoulder areas that cannot be repaired, absent or temporary ‘PART-WORN’ markings, improper pressure testing, aged and hardened rubber and tread depth below the legal minimum. Under the Motor Vehicle Tyres (Safety) Regulations 1994, such tyres must be thoroughly inflation-tested before sale, have at least 2.0 mm of tread, be structurally sound and carry a permanent uppercase ‘PART-WORN’ stamp.

Each trader subsequently received an individual Trader Notice summarising visit findings, identifying specific concerns, acknowledging compliance where found and offering practical guidance on meeting legal duties. TyreSafe and Dudley Trading Standards now intend to use the case study to urge other UK local authorities to prioritise joint enforcement against part-worn tyre retailers and remove illegal stock from the consumer market.

Laura Reuben, Public Protection Manager, Dudley Council, said, “The findings of this operation are deeply concerning. Consumers purchasing part-worn tyres often assume they are buying a safe, legal alternative to pass an MOT or save money, but our joint checks show a widespread disregard for basic safety laws. Educational visits alone have proven insufficient, and we will not hesitate to use our formal enforcement powers to protect motorists from dangerous stock.”

Stuart Lovatt, Chairman, TyreSafe, said, “This operation with Dudley Trading Standards exposes a stark reality: 100 percent non-compliance among the retailers audited, even after receiving compliance advice. Dangerous tyres on the road pose an immediate threat to driver and pedestrian safety. We urge local authorities across the UK to follow Dudley’s lead and integrate targeted, unannounced part-worn checks into their enforcement schedules.”

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