“The UK aftermarket industry must play a key role in bringing the findings of new research into tyre performance to motorists’ attention” – this was RoadSafe’s message at its recent ‘safety in the wet demonstration,’ a message it successfully managed to impress on guests.

MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association) and RoadSafe welcomed both journalists and ‘opinion formers,’ including representatives from the AA, police and RoSPA, to the association’s test grounds in Nuneaton last month, to host comparative tyre tread depth tests and to promote the industry’s 3mm tyre replacement cause.

Guests were offered the opportunity to take part in a practical demonstration that aimed to further impact the tyre safety message. Four cars, each with one of the specified tread depths, 8mm, 4mm, 3mm or 1.6mm were available for guests to complete wet braking tests. The results were strikingly clear, the lower the tread depth the longer and further it took to stop the vehicle. A simple exercise, a simple message; yet despite the simplicity a large percentage of motorists drive on illegal levels of tyre tread. What the 3mm working group says is that it’s up to the UK tyre industry to do something about this and promote change.