Unreliable Tyre Inflation Equipment Adding Danger to UK Roads

Every time you pull into a garage to check your tyre pressure there’s at least a one in three chance that the tyre inflation facilities provided will be damaged, out of order or giving incorrect readings. This is the finding of a study conducted by Kwik-Fit; 39 per cent of tyre gauges at service stations fail to deliver in terms of reliability and accuracy.

“You might well be forgiven for expecting the gauge on your local garage forecourt to be accurate and in working condition, but seemingly this is not the case,” commented Kwik-Fit customer services director David White. Spot checks conducted by the nationwide chain also reveal that as many as 20 per cent of UK motorists are driving vehicles with under-inflated tyres, and are most likely unaware anything is amiss or the dangers that under-inflation poses. “Under-inflated tyres can lead to a blow-out,” White adds. “Motorists that have had this happen to them will know it is an extremely alarming situation to be in and has the potential to cause a serious accident.”

The solution, believes David White, is to have tyre pressure checked at a premises where the reliability and accuracy of such an inspection can be trusted. “Motorists might well feel safer coming to Kwik-Fit, where their tyre pressure will be checked at any of our 670 centres using calibrated tyre pressure gauges for free by a tyre expert .”

The 20 per cent of vehicles referred to in the Kwik-Fit study were those with one or more tyres at 3psi or more under the correct pressure stipulated in the car manufacturer’s handbook – according to the weight being carried. This is only 10 to 15 per cent less than the recommended inflation for most car tyres, a level difficult for even trained staff to detect.