Families can reduce their chances of being stranded by the roadside or being involved in a serious accident over the Christmas holiday period by making sure their car tyres are correctly inflated before they set off. That’s the advice issued by TyreSafe today. And it comes with a warning: “Drivers who fail to make these checks and adjustments significantly increase their likelihood of experiencing a dangerous tyre blowout.”

“During the holiday period too many motorists suffer misery from tyre related breakdowns because they haven’t made adequate checks before setting off,” explains Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe. “Very often the cars are heavily loaded with extra passengers, luggage and presents and then head off on long, high-speed, motorway journeys. It’s essential when carrying extra weight that tyre pressures are checked and adjusted in line with the vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations. Motorists who fail to make these adjustments are much more likely to spend some of their Christmas break stranded at the roadside because of a tyre failure”.