Free tyre safety checks during October

A NOT-FOR-PROFIT tyre safety organisation has produced a website that allows drivers to locate a free tyre ‘health check’ during October.

The website, from safety campaigners TyreSafe, will let users enter their home postcode to find the nearest garage to them that is offering to check for any issues like too little tread depth, incorrect pressures and foreign objects like nails or glass.

October is set to be Tyre Safety Month, and with the weather turning cold and the nights drawing in – especially when the hour goes back – it’s crucial that drivers make sure their rubber isn’t putting their safety in jeopardy.

Many dealers and garages are offering free tyre health checks during the month, to make it as easy as possible for people to put their minds at ease – and potentially prevent an accident.

The checks should only take a few minutes. Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe, said: “These free inspections will include checking that the tyre has adequate tread depth and the correct air pressure. The tyre experts will also give the tyre a visual inspection to check its overall condition to ensure it is legal and as safe as possible.”

A recent TyreSafe-affiliated study of 27,000 cars across Europe revealed that 78% of motorists were driving around on under-inflated tyres. Alarmingly, 28% of the overall sample of cars had “seriously or severely” under-inflated tyres, putting their drivers, passengers and other road users in danger.

Under-inflated tyres are a serious road safety hazard as they are more likely to overheat and suffer from rapid failure. This happens most often at high speeds, typically on busy motorways or A-roads, placing the driver, any passengers and other road users at great risk.

Tyres which are not inflated properly also wear out quicker as they suffer rapid or uneven wear on the outer edges of the tread. They also cause the vehicle to use more fuel as their rolling resistance increases.

By Press Association reporter