Hi °C | Lo °C Flat tyres are so last year. Not that long ago the first thing you learnt from your father when you turned 17 and the driving license arrived in the post was how to change a wheel. Not to change it to one of the current version of spare wheels, more suited to a BMX than a BMW, but to one of equal size and sturdiness as your other four.
Not so nowadays.
In an effort to save space and money, car manufacturers have now reverted to the dreaded skinny fifth wheel. Some have even moved the spare wheel into that wallet-rinsing category known as 'added extras'.
This may sound like a rant from someone who's just driven over a thorny bush but in actual fact it highlights the growing importance of Schrader Electronics in the world of automotive manufacturing.
If you've no spare it pays to be able to keep an eye on the air pressure in your tyres and it just so happens Schrader specialise in automatic tyre pressure monitors.
This isn't the only string to the Antrim company's bow.
Adding further to its prospects is the fact European rules are about to match those of the US in requiring all new vehicles to be fitted with automatic tyre pressure monitors.
Such legislation is the stuff of dreams for manufacturers but Schrader's astute forward planning has meant it's in the perfect position to take advantage of an upswing in demand.
The announcement that it's to create 100 new jobs after a fairly substantial investment is good news, not just for the local area but also for Northern Ireland manufacturing.
Schrader's biggest market is the US and if demand from its manufacturing sector is showing signs of picking up then it can only be a matter of time before ours follows suit.
As they say, when the US sneezes, the rest of the world catches a cold; something you will be at less risk of if you have tyre pressure monitors on your car and avoid having to step out on a stormy night to change a tyre.
