Japanese tyre maker Falken has come up with a new sensor which can detect loose wheel nuts and reduces the risk of runaway wheel accidents, according to the company.
Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI), which owns the Falken brand, said a new wheel detachment function is set to be fitted to production vehicles for the first time this year.
The device works independently of tyre make, model or size. It analyses wheel-speed signals and other information from the vehicle's controller area network (CAN) to detect whether any wheel nuts are loose. It is sensitive to within 1 millimetre.
Accidents caused by detached wheels have repeatedly made headlines around the world, especially during the winter season, when car and truck drivers switch over to winter tyres and may not tighten the wheel nuts sufficiently.
While many commercial vehicle operators use mechanical clips on the nuts as a visual check, these are not 100% reliable and rely on the diligence of the driver to check each of them before each journey.
In Japan the government has specified that the function will fitted to new cars as standard equipment for the first time by an OEM customer. Discussions are ongoing with additional vehicle manufacturers.
