TYRE SAFETY
Bridgestone is getting behind a life-saving charity by fitting Turanza All Season 6 tyres to all consultants’ vehicles. As part of its ‘Become a Road Safety Hero’ campaign, Bridgestone is supporting Bristol and Avon-based Bravo Medics with all-season tyres to aid their critical first responder care for patients across Bristol, Bath, Somerset and South Gloucestershire.
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.
A new campaign from UK road safety charity TyreSafe gives motorists a light-hearted yet crucial reminder to prioritise regular tyre checks. The ‘Love Your Tyres’ campaign notes that while an estimated three in five Brits part with hard-earned cash to celebrate Valentine’s Day, a recent survey conducted in partnership with the RAC shows that only a third of drivers check their vehicle’s tyre tread at least once a month – the minimum frequency recommended by road safety experts.
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.
Research conducted on behalf of the RAC and TyreSafe provides further evidence that UK motorists are tyre unsavvy. While 66% of the 1,775 drivers surveyed claimed to know what the minimum tyre tread allowed by law is, only 39% correctly identified this tread depth as 1.6mm. Perhaps more worryingly, 26% of survey respondents only check tyre tread when they “remember to do it” or directly before taking a car for its MOT, while 5% never do and wait for their car to fail its annual roadworthiness test before taking any action. Just one third said they check tyre tread at least every month, with 17% saying they do so every other month and 15 per cent only checking them about every six months.
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.
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.
Kumho Tyre UK has voiced its support for the TyreSafe Tyre Safety Month 2024 campaign. The road safety charity’s efforts to promote awareness amongst motorists of the importance of tyre safety through this year’s ‘Caught in the ACT’ campaign are aligned with those of Kumho.
TyreSafe has once again gained the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award, an accolade that highlights the UK tyre safety charity’s vision of reducing to zero the harm that poorly maintained or illegal tyres cause road users. The award comes at a significant time in TyreSafe’s two decades of campaigning, as the organisation claims to be “undergoing its most progressive strategic shift and growth period.”
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 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.
As universities across the UK prepare to welcome back students, TyreSafe is issuing a timely reminder for the estimated 316,850 UK 18-year-olds who have applied for higher education this year to prioritise vehicle safety before setting off on their journeys. Three- in- five young drivers admit they never check their tyres, a concerning statistic given that approximately 6 million tyres with illegal tread are currently on UK roads, according to TyreSafe’s 2023 Tread Depth Survey.
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