Tyre Safety Month Gets Underway

TyreSafe hopes lives will be saved and avoided in as it launches October's Tyre Safety Month. Throughout the month hundreds of garages across the country will be encouraging motorists to check the depth of their tyre tread by using a 20p coin, to ensure they stay safe and legal. "As we move into the wettest months of the year, adequate tyre tread depth is a critical element of road safety," explains Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe. "There are still far too many accidents and fatalities occurring every day which could have been avoided if the driver had paid more attention to the condition of their tyres. The 'lifesaver in your pocket' campaign gives drivers an incredibly easy and simple way to check their tread depth which will help them stay safe and on the right side of the law."

During 2008, 34 motorists died on the UK's roads where an illegal, defective or under-inflated tyre was a contributory factor in the accident. At least 900 other motorists were also injured in accidents where tyre neglect played a part. Independent research commissioned by TyreSafe found that more than half of all drivers could not correctly identify the legal tread depth and a startling one in five drivers had never checked their tread depth. The AA reported that in 2008 nearly one in ten of every breakdown it attends, is for a tyre related call out.

Current UK law states that tyre tread on cars must be at a minimum of 1.6mm across the central three quarters of the tread, around its entire circumference. Drivers found in breach of this law face a fine of up to £2500 and three penalty points for each illegal tyre.

The ‘lifesaver in your pocket’ campaign encourages drivers to insert a 20p coin into the main grooves of the tyre to check the tread depth. If the outer band of the coin is visible when inserted, then the tyre may not have sufficient depth and should be checked by a qualified specialist.

TyreSafe is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of the dangers of defective and worn tyres. TyreSafe evolved from the Tyre Industry Council and has campaigned consistently to underline the importance of tyre safety for more than 15 years. The organisation was rewarded with the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in 2001.