Bridgestone: 71% of cars not ready for holiday driving

A Bridgestone survey derived from 38,000 tyre safety checks carried out by Bridgestone in nine European countries suggests that 71 per cent of motorists are driving on under-inflated tyres. Almost 12 per cent are also worn down below the EU legal minimum of 1.6 mm tread depth. “These figures are particularly alarming at this time of year,” says Des Collins, vice president European Communications Office, Bridgestone Europe, “as families set off on long journeys with heavily-loaded cars. It is important for the safety of motorists that they check their tyres before leaving.”

At a time when millions of families in Europe are about to make their longest journey of the year, Bridgestone advises all motorists to check tyre pressure before and after holiday drives, in addition to warning against over-inflation, especially in the hotter summer months.

Bridgestone Europe has an ongoing agreement to support the European Road Safety Charter – a European Commission initiative promoting concrete actions on road safety and the sharing of good practice. Under the agreement, Bridgestone commits to continue driver education activities on road safety, including at least 30,000 tyre safety checks a year, and to publish the results of its tyre inspection programme.

In a combined effort by Bridgestone Europe and its Western Region (France and Benelux) personnel, around 1,000 tyre safety checks were conducted in Brussels last month. Other Bridgestone companies in Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Poland, France and Ireland plan more safety inspection programmes during the second half of 2011.

Related news:

• Surprising results for Bridgestone survey at 2011 CV Show
• Bridgestone Survey Reveals Cost of Under-Inflated Tyres
• Bridgestone Survey Says UK Fails to Check Pressure Enough