Bridgestone has reiterated its appeal for motorists to perform regular tyre safety checks following new research revealing that a significant proportion of UK drivers continue to overlook fundamental maintenance practices. The tyre manufacturer expressed particular concern for young motorists, who appear disproportionately unaware of basic tyre safety protocols.
Multiple Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar has entered into a long-term partnership with Continental. In addition to elevating brand awareness for Continental car and bicycle tyres, the partnership will particularly focus on promoting understanding and respect between motorists and cyclists.
TyreSafe and Ring Automotive are celebrating five years of working in partnership to promote tyre safety and awareness across the UK. Since joining TyreSafe as an official supporter in March 2020, Ring Automotive has played a crucial role in championing safer roads through innovative tyre care solutions, community engagement, and advocacy for regular tyre maintenance.
TyreSafe has issued motorcycle tyre safety guidance following a 20 per cent surge in new motorcycles registered in 2024. And what’s more, registrations in December 2024 were up 114 per cent on the previous year. In addition, 45,251 powered two wheelers up to 125cc / 11kW were sold in 2024 (prevalent in the 16-24 years old demographic) accounting for 39 per cent of the overall market meaning that riders are also likely to be less experienced in a variety of different conditions.
Kumho Tyre is communicating valuable safety messages for winter driving to motorists. The recent spells of cold weather in the UK put increased attention on the subject of tyres, and the manufacturer is adding its voice to calls for motorists to ensure their vehicles are equipped with tyres to handle the harsh conditions of the season.
TyreSafe has relaunched its ‘Keep Your Tyres in Good ‘Elf’ campaign for a second successive year. In addition to appearing on bus backs and websites, the initiative had a strong social media reaction in 2023, as the sight of Santa’s elves performing a range of tyre checks provided fun and engaging reminders about the importance of road safety during the festive period. The campaign was also backed strongly by TyreSafe supporters.
Tyrepress sister website WhatTyre became a partner of TyreSafe this year, following up many years of covering the organisation’s important road safety activities and stakeholder partnerships in Tyre Industry Publications’ business website and magazine Tyres & Accessories. The company’s independent consumer tyre advice website is dedicated to helping drivers make informed decisions about tyre replacement and maintenance. Therefore partnering with the leading UK tyre safety organisation to extend its messages is a natural fit. As a result of its business-to-business and consumer titles, Tyre Industry Publications is uniquely positioned to reach a broad coalition of road users and the tyre suppliers and fitters that make the tyres that keep them safe. The reciprocal partnership will help ensure that crucial tyre safety information is disseminated effectively across the UK.
Uswitch car insurance has carried out research on driving convictions in the UK, determining the worst offending age groups and which area of the UK the most offences occurred. More than 1,140,000 driving convictions are issued in a year. The age groups who committed the most offences were 40-59, with the top overall ages being convicted all falling into the 43-55 age category, including ages: 43 (25,292), 51 (24,890), 52 (25,574), 53 (24,934) and 55 (24,751).
TyreSafe has partnered with The Automobile Association (AA) as official supporters. According to the association, the move “marks a significant step in advancing road safety, particularly in addressing the impact of poorly maintained or illegal tyres”, which “continue to be a major cause of breakdowns on UK roads, but more importantly, pose a significant risk to road users as a causational factor in fatal or serious road traffic incidents”. The latest statistics from the DfT show that 190 people were killed or seriously injured in incidents related to defective tyres in 2023, which was an increase of 29 per cent on 2022 and the highest number of causalities since 2018.
Automotive accessory specialist, Ring, is again supporting TyreSafe, the UK’s leading authority on tyre safety, with its campaign for Tyre Safety Month in October. Ring has been a long-standing supporter of TyreSafe, the UK’s leading authority on tyre safety, and has previously assisted at its events across the UK alongside the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service, to conduct tyre pressure and tyre tread depth checks with its specialist equipment.
Bridgestone and Young Driver have announced a UK partnership that will connect the company with 320,000 pupils and parents around the country over the next 12 months. Coinciding with TyreSafe’s October Tyre Safety Month campaign, the collaboration will see Bridgestone delivering the message about the crucial role that tyres play in keeping drivers safe through various inventive initiatives. On average, Young Driver delivers 140,000 lessons to young people between 10 and 17 each year, using cars ranging from Vauxhall Corsas to Porsches. The scheme operates at 70 private venues all over the UK, offering responsible learning in a safe, controlled environment, with qualified driving instructors delivering lessons in a fun and engaging way, to nurture the future generation of drivers.
Continental Tyres’ training school, the ContiAcademy, recently ran a workshop on tyre safety and performance for officers from West Mercia Police. 13 delegates from the force completed a mix of theory-based and practical training at the Lutterworth facility, aiming to understand the safety-critical role tyres play in vehicles. Modules looked in depth at the fundamentals of tyre design, engineering and physics. Steve Howat, technical services general manager at Continental Tyres, called the force’s decision to work with the company to deliver this vital training as “an endorsement of our commitment and capabilities at the ContiAcademy.” The training comes ahead of October’s Tyre Safety Month, with both Conti and the force registered supporters of road safety organisation TyreSafe.
TyreSafe has launched its flagship campaign for October’s Tyre Safety Month. Focusing on raising awareness of the role of tyres in ensuring road safety, Tyre Safety Month is a fixture of the road safety calendar, and an opportunity to stress the importance of regular tyre maintenance. This year’s campaign, announced at the TyreSafe Media Briefing earlier this year, TyreSafe is challenging drivers and riders to get ‘Caught in the ACT’, adopting a superhero theme with comic strip inspired visuals to make tyre safety more engaging, helping motorists to see themselves as tyre safety heroes.
TyreSafe is calling for “immediate and comprehensive measures” to combat the escalating problem of killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties linked to tyre-related incidents on British roads. The latest Department for Transport “Reported Road Casualties Great Britain” annual report for 2023 shows a year-on-year increase of 29 per cent, from 147 in 2022 to 190 in 2023. This is the highest number of casualties due to tyre defects since 2018 and puts tyre-related casualties at a similar level to those related to mobile phones. TyreSafe’s latest Case for Action emphasises the urgent need for stronger action to address tyre safety. The safety organisation wants to increase awareness, seeks stricter enforcement of existing regulations, and the adoption of new safety standards.
With road traffic fatalities now the leading cause of death for individuals between five and 29 years in sub-Saharan Africa, an international development organisation will start a new project designed to tackle this growing problem. Transaid has secured funding for a six-month project to deliver health and road safety messaging in the Mombassa port enclave in Kenya, focusing on commercial vehicle drivers. The grant from Lloyd’s Register Foundation will be used to reduce perceived barriers to quality health services in local clinics. Here, the organisation will also place key messaging around improved cargo and road safety, developed in partnership with transport industry leaders.
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