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One size fits all
At the start of 2014, the RAC launched an initiative to tackle the issue of lengthy call-outs to vehicles without a spare wheel. The universal spare wheel is a five-stud 17-inch alloy wheel that fits what the organisation describes as "a high proportion of vehicles", which reduces the time required to carry out a roadside repair.
The firm's technical operations director, Phil Ryan, told BusinessCar: "The problem really reared its head about three or four years ago.
A lot of manufacturers don't fit a spare and customers are less inclined to change wheels anyway.
"The complexity it presents for roadside patrols is immense. You've got to find a tyre for that car and replace it, so it takes much longer."
The universal spare has since been issued to all of the RAC's patrol vehicles. Once it has been fitted at the roadside, the patrol technician contacts the nearest tyre supplier (although it has to be one the organisation is partnered with) to establish whether a more permanent replacement is available, or the driver can book a mobile fitting later on and leave the universal spare with the fitter.
"I expect this to become the norm in the industry within the next couple of years," says Ryan. "I do think the rest of the breakdown industry will follow suit.
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