Tyre-related deaths show slight fall

FIGURES released today have revealed a slight fall in the number of deaths and serious injuries caused by dangerous tyres.

The 2012 figure of 194 ‘killed of seriously injured’ (KSI) incidents represents a 5% fall from 2011, and includes a drop in fatalities of three, from 28 to 25.

Serious injuries fell from 177 to 169. However, the number of less serious injuries actually rose by more than 100, from 931 to 1,044, leading tyre safety organisation TyreSafe to call for greater care from drivers.

The group says more motorists are letting their tyres wear down as far as possible before replacing them, which could be putting lives at risk.

“We are pleased that the number of fatalities or serious casualties coming from a tyre related accident has fallen, but this is no time for complacency,” said Stuart Jackson, chairman of TyreSafe.

“We are seeing an increased number of drivers who are willing to run their tyres right down to the legal limit in an attempt to save money, and this will reduce their safety on the road.

“While we’ve been successful in helping to remove the most dangerous tyres from the road, average tread depths on cars have reduced recently which has contributed to an actual increase in number of drivers suffering slight injuries.”

The news comes just ahead of the start of National Tyre Safety Month, where many garages up and down the country will offer free tyre safety checks to ensure that each corner is inflated to the correct pressure and has plenty of tread.

The UK’s legal minimum for tread depth is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre, but manufacturer tests have shown that changing at 3mm is much safer, especially in the wet.

By Press Association reporter