Yamuna Expressway Accident: Govt Mulls Compulsory Nitrogen In Tyres

Source: Wikipedia Commons

A day after the tyre-burst accident on Yamuna Expressway that claimed 29 lives, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that the government was considering to make nitrogen filling in tyres compulsory and tyre manufacturers will also be required to mix silicon in the rubber.

The Road Transport and Highways Minister explained that these additions will make tyres safer by reducing chances of them bursting due to increased heat.

“…till now we did not know about how tyres manufactured in India matched up to those manufactured as per international standards. In America and other western nations, silicon is added to the rubber in the tyres. This ensures that there are less complaints about tyre bursts. Second, if instead of normal air, nitrogen is used in tyres, it stays cool. We are thinking of making both these things mandatory,” Gadkari said.

Accidents on the “cement and concrete” Yamuna Expressway have led to 133 deaths in 2016, 146 in 2017 and 11 in 2018, the Minister informed.