Confused.com tyre survey

Insurance price comparison site Confused.com commissioned a survey of 2,000 drivers on tyre-related matters to coincide with tyre safety month. The site points out that drivers could see their motor insurance claims denied, get 12 penalty points on their licence and face fines of up to £10,000, simply by failing to take proper care of their tyres.

Confused.com’s poll of drivers reveals that many motorists don’t know how to keep our tyres roadworthy. We interviewed 2,000 motorists who told us:

•    57 per cent of drivers don’t know the correct tread depth for their tyres
•    58 per cent don’t know the correct pressure of their tyres
•    18-24 year olds are least likely to know how to put air in their tyres
•    87.4 per cent of people do not change their tyres for the winter weather

According to the poll, 58 per cent of people do not know what the correct tyre pressure is for their vehicle with 18-24 year olds being the key culprits. On top of this, 1.4 per cent of people don’t even realise that their tyres need air!

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com said: “Tyre maintenance may not sound like the most exciting topic on the planet but is important to basic road safety. If your tyres have too much air or too little this can wear the tread of tyres down quickly.

“If a tyre has a tread of less than 1.6mm it is qualified as an illegal tyre. If the police stop someone with an illegal tyre they can be fined up to £2,500 for each illegal tyre. If someone is in a crash and their tyres are below the legal tread limit, a fine can be issued, causing their insurance to be denied.

“Tyres must be checked on a regular basis to ensure they are up to road safety standards. An easy way of checking tyre tread is the 20p check. Place a 20p coin into the main tread of the tyre and if the rim of the coin is covered by the tread this shows it is a legal roadworthy tyre.”