Bridgestone postcards demonstrate tyre checks as it helps hundreds ‘Become a Road Safety Hero’

Bridgestone spread the tyre safety message to hundreds of motorists across October with free tyre safety checks and postcards at two events during Tyre Safety Month. Bridgestone said it communicated the messages to hundreds of motorists at Roadchef’s Norton Canes Services on the M6 Toll in Staffordshire on 19 October, carrying out free safety checks throughout the day. The company repeated these activities at Ireland’s Japfest in Mondello Park, where it encouraged young drivers to get into the habit of checking their tyres regularly.

Bridgestone’s North Region vice president Andrea Manenti said: “October is Tyre Safe Month and we know from TyreSafe data that up to 10 million tyres, (1 in 4) are estimated to be illegal in the UK.  This is a shocking statistic… the result of this can lead to life-changing accidents and in some cases, fatalities. That is why we are urging drivers to check their tyres and also pass the message on to their friends and loved ones. The postcards certainly made their mark on those we spoke to, and it was uplifting to be able to engage with so many of them during the two events.”

Bridgestone offered tyre safety checks to hundreds of motorists at Norton Canes Services (Photo: Bridgestone)

The postcards were designed to emphasise the importance of checking tyres and highlight that each vehicle has only four contact patches with the road and they featured safety tips and maintenance advice for future reference.

Manenti added: “We got the sense that motorists do care, and understand the importance of regular tyre checks, but either don’t know what to look for or think that it will take them too long. The reality is that it only takes a minute to conduct a simple check and it’s a straightforward task.

“We were able to show motorists how to check their tyres, whilst reminding them of the implications of driving on defective or illegal products, which not only puts their safety in jeopardy, but can also lead to fines, penalty points and even a loss of licence.”

Bridgestone said it is now exploring opportunities to expand its tyre safety event activity in 2024.

The activity coincided with a recent tyre safety survey from Bridgestone, carried out with 2,000 UK car owners by Research Without Barriers in February 2023. This revealed that 81 per cent of drivers never check their tyres and only 14 per cent described them as the most important safety feature on their cars.

Other headline statistics from Bridgestone’s research included 54 per cent not knowing that driving on illegal tyres was an extremely dangerous act. Only 31 per cent of motorists admitting to being well informed on road safety matters. In addition, just 12 per cent check their tyre treads once a fortnight, which is the recommended period.

Manenti continued: “It is always nice to meet motorists and engage with them in new ways, which we were able to do at the M6 Norton Canes Services and also at Japfest in Ireland. We will be following up with more events like these in the future, with more innovative ways to interact with motorists.”

Bridgestone also made a digital version of the postcard available through its website, also releasing a video of its tyre safety activity at Norton Caines Services on its YouTube channel.